The Wolf, The Thief, And The Song That Never Ends
by girlinpink44
Summary: Rose Tyler discovers that the Bad Wolf might have left effects she didn't anticipate. Suddenly, she is provided with not only a way to get back to her Doctor, but a way to give him the happy ending she so desperately wants with him. But the road to happy endings is long and she won't be able to do it alone.
1. The Goddess of Time

**Author's Note: Was inspired today. Decided to post the first chapter of this. It's a story I've been working on off and on for a bit. I'm excited to see what people think of it.**

 **This is my first time writing a Doctor Who fic and I hope I do it and the characters justice. It's an idea, or rather a series of ideas that I've had for a while.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of it's characters. This is purely for me to blow off steam and have some fun.**

 **Enough from me, enjoy! Alons-y!**

On the Shining World of the Seven Systems and on the Continent of Wild Endeavour in the Mountains of Solace and Solitude stood the Citadel of the Time Lords. And inside that Citadel, the newest class of soon-to-be Time Lords made their way to the chamber that housed the untempered schism.

In this group was young Theta Sigma who stood close to his friend Koschei as they were lead through the citadel. It was larger than Theta had thought, almost as if it were bigger on the inside.

"This way." The professor said from the front of his group. "Hurry up."

They stopped outside a chamber and Theta took a couple of deep breaths knowing what waited on the other side of the door. He'd heard the stories about the recruits who looked through the schism. Some were inspired, some went mad, and others ran.

What if he went mad?

"Before you take your glimpse into the schism and prepare to become Time Lords in training, you must first honor the Goddess of Time."

The professor moved so that the group could see the statue and Theta stared at the familiar image of the woman. She guarded over the fountain in his home village and he had seen her picture in books from the library. The woman looked at them with long flowing hair and a dress that still seemed to swish even though she was a statue.

"There are three Goddesses and each one serves as a reflection to a founder of Galifrey. The Goddess of Time is a reflection of one of Galifrey's Founders, The Other. Legend has it that the Goddess of Time took in the vortex to save the man she loved. They were soon separated and eventually she found her way back to him not once but twice. That second time, they found their forever and he joined her as Time's Champion."

"Does she have a name?" Theta's question came out before he could stop it.

"It has been lost to time, and even if it hadn't it would be hidden, much like your true name Theta."

Theta nodded.

The professor held up a basket of red flowers that had a blue ribbon tied around their stems. "As your name is called, you are to take a flower, place at at the Goddess' base and then proceed into the chamber. This is the moment that your lives change forever. This is the moment where you come face to face with time.

With that, the professor began, calling out name after name. Theta began bouncing on the balls of his feet, part of him not being able to help wanting to go out into the grass of his favorite hillside and play tag with Koshiel and their friends.

Those days were behind them though as he knew that years of schooling were ahead so that they could become Time Lords. His parents were so proud of him being accepted into the Academy and he hoped that someday he would be able to make a difference, like the goddess' champion.

"Theta Sigma." The professor called, looking at him.

Taking a deep breath, Theta went up and got his flower. Taking it over, he knelt by the statue. "If you ever need another champion, let me know."

With that, he walked into the chamber and to the schism and his future.

It reminded her of that day in 1987, the day her father died. Even though that had been a lifetime and a universe ago, looking back she saw the shift in her first Doctor after her first encounter with a Dalek and knew what he had done was incredibly stupid.

But he had done it for her. And that was the kind of thing that had made her fall for him. For both versions of him. She had fallen head over heels for big ears, harsh Northern accent, and leather jacket, but if she was honest, her heart belonged to the perfect haired, long coat wearing Doctor who had lost her, left her, and loved her.

A good sized crowd crowded around the casket as Rose Marion Tyler-Noble stood to the fringe of the crowd thinking back to that day. It wasn't grim or stormy, it was just another day.

Except this day, this was the day she finally lost her Doctor once and for all.

Pulling her coat close and checking her hood, she listened as the minister began to talk.

"We are gathered her today to honor and remember the life of Dr. Jonathan Smith Tyler-Noble. Jonathan lived a full life in dedication to his planet and his research has and will continue to keep Earth safe. He is proceeded in death by his mother in law, Jacqueline Angela Suzette Prentice Tyler, his father in law, Peter Alan Tyler, and his wife Rose Marion Tyler-Noble."

Rose looked over to see her parent's tombstones staring back at her as if they were mocking her. She wondered if Mickey was still alive in the other universe and if he had found someone. She wondered what she was going to do.

Because her life was about to be lowered into the ground.

He had lived a long life. Not too long after they had arrived in the alternate universe they had estimated that his body was about 38. They were married within a year and had 55 beautiful years together. Though, as far as the public was concerned, they had only had 25.

Rose had been dead for 25 years.

It was about ten years before they noticed she wasn't aging. Somehow she still looked like she was in her twenties when she was almost 85. Most people would be thrilled, but to her it was a nightmare. Constantly hiding, constantly lying and realizing the sickening thought.

She could have given the Doctor his forever.

They figured it was the Bad Wolf, she finally got the story out of Jonathan. How Jack couldn't die, why he had to regenerate, what happened. And they figured it stopped her aging, even though the Doctor had thought he'd gotten all of the vortex out of her.

They made do, because it was the Doctor and Rose Tyler, as it should be. They married, rose through the ranks of Torchwood, and were together. Even the thought of never having children together, while a burden, didn't drive them apart.

But finally, age did.

As the funeral ended, Rose wandered over to her parent's graves, leaving flowers for them as she did every week or so. Behind her, she could hear the sound of the crowd as the lingered over her husband's funeral. She wanted them to leave, wanted to have one last minute with her Doctor, her Jonathan, before he was gone from her for forever.

"Rose."

She turned to see Tony walk up to her. It was weird that her little brother looked older than her, after all he was turning 60 next month, but he still looked up to her. He also was her secret keeper and the one who helped her go underground.

The tears came as she rushed to give him a hug. "I don't know what I'm going to do, Tony. He's gone and I'm not going anywhere. You'll be gone in 20-30 years and…"

"Don't talk like that." He pulled away just enough to be able to give her a stern look. "Meet me in my office at 8. Jonathan gave me something that I swore I would give to you when he was gone."

She nodded, wondering what secret her brother and her beloved had kept from her.

The crowd finally dispersed and she walked over, running her hand over the casket. She turned to the headstone that had her name on it as well as her "death date" and would soon has his alongside.

"I don't know what I'm going to do, Jonathan." She whispered as the tears fell. "It was supposed to be you and me and we were going to grow old and be happy."

She laid the rose she'd been holding on the casket, a TARDIS blue ribbon tied around it's stem.

The crew stood by and Rose knew she needed to let them get on with the job of lowering the casket. She started to walk away before turning back. "I'm going to prove you wrong. It's my only choice, Doctor. I'm going to find a way back to you."

It was a few minutes before 8 when she headed up the elevator to her old office, the one that Tony now worked out of as the head of Torchwood. The difference between this Torchwood and the one that had started this whole mess was night and day and she couldn't be prouder of the work that her father, her Doctor, she, and Tony had put in to make this an organization to be proud of.

Walking in the office, she found herself alone and turned to see a photograph that was about 40 years old. It was a large picture of her family. Her mom, dad, Jonathan, her, and Tony. Tears came again at the sight of those gone and how she looked the same all these years later.

Everything has it's time but when was hers?

"Rose."

She turned to see Tony standing there with a package. "Jon gave this to me on his 90th birthday. He knew his time was close and said to tell you that he meant what he said both times on that bay, even the time you didn't hear the end."

Rose took the package and opened it to find a journal. It was TARDIS blue, a move she knew was intentional by her husband, and seemed to be a few years old. Opening it up, she felt the tears come again as she saw his handwriting that filled every page.

 _My Dearest Rose,_

 _If this letter is in your possession, then that surely means that I have finally passed on. I'm not sure how I feel about finally dying, when one has lived as long as I have the idea of this death being final is a bit overwhelming. But with the discovery of your lack of aging, I felt it was necessary that I provide you with a guide to get you back to me._

 _That's right, there is a way back._

 _You see, I've had a running theory ever since the last minute of being Big Ears and Leather about you. One I never wanted to admit to myself because I knew what it meant. And when you were separated from me and sent here the first time, it only confirmed my suspicions._

 _And here we are and now I'm fairly certain._

 _You, or rather the Bad Wolf, was known on Galifrey as the Goddess of Time. She was a powerful being that stood guard over my village as well as the chamber that housed the Untempered Scism. It was said that she took in the time vortex to save her love and that they were separated not once but twice. When she got back to him, they found their forever and he joined her as Time's Champion._

 _That makes me Time's Champion. My seven-year-old self would be so proud._

 _Inside this diary are notes, thoughts, musings, whatever I thought you might need return and claim your champion. Take care my love and return to your universe and I truly hope that you find him/me._

 _All my love,_

 _Jonathan_

 _PS: On the last page is a list of things that I wasn't able to fix. Just take a look because the other me won't have the courage to ask you. But he's, I've, we've lost so much and you know how rare it is that everyone lives and that everyone gets their happily ever after._

Closing the diary, Rose held the book close. "There's a way back."

"What?" Tony's jaw dropped. "Are you sure?"

"He seems to think so and that's all I need." Rose smiled for the first time since her husband had passed away. "I'm going to get home."

She looked at the book in her hands. "I'm coming, Doctor."

Why was it that funerals, at least the ones Rose attended, were on such sunny and cheerful days. While it had been 23 years since her Jonathan was buried, these days still reminded her of the adventures they had around London and the rest of the globe.

But today brought no happy memories as she was here to say goodbye to the last thing she had holding her in this universe. And even with over 20 years to think on it, she was no closer to getting home and finding her Doctor.

She promised him forever and if she couldn't deliver it she didn't know what she was going to do.

"We are gathered here today to honor the life of Anthony Sigma Tyler."

Rose smiled at the mention of Tony's middle name. It was a piece of her Doctor after all. Her mum and hopped that it would help this boy live up to the other man that held that name, at least in his younger years. The day she'd found out about that name, not his true name, but the one from his younger days, was an accident yet a fun memory.

 _"Rose, we need to split up. You take the domestic approach."_

 _"And you'll be you?" She smiled at him._

 _He shook his head, smiling at her as he handed her the psychic paper. "In case you run into any trouble."_

 _"What about you?"_

 _Reaching into the pocket of his impossibly long coat, he pulled up what looked like business cards handing one to her. "I think this will work in here."_

 _She didn't make it past the name, Theta Sigma. "What kinda name is Theta Sigma?"_

 _"It was my name in the academy, since our true names were not to be spoken." With that, he took off, leaving her holding the card and the piece of him he had given to her._

 _It might not have meant a lot to him, it might have, he was hard to read, but it meant the world to her._

The minister kept delivering the eulogy and Rose couldn't help but wonder what she was going to do now that she found herself alone in a very unforgiving universe.

The minister kept talking but Rose knelt down by her husband's grave. "I want to keep my promise, you know I do. But I don't know how. I don't know if I can and if I can't…"

A sob escaped and Rose put a hand on the headstone to steady herself. "Jonathan, you believed I could get back. I wish we had talked about it."

Her gaze wandered to her parents' graves and her mother's words that were almost a century ago and a universe away rang through. "And you'll keep on changing. And in forty years time, fifty, there'll be this woman, this strange woman, walking through the marketplace on some planet a billion miles from Earth. But she's not Rose Tyler. Not anymore. She's not even human."

Not even human.

There was a difference between knowing and accepting it. She didn't know what she was anymore. Shoot, she had celebrated her 100th birthday a few years ago, she'd gone to get chips with Tony, yet she didn't look a day over 25, if that. The waitress had mistaken her brother for her grandfather and they'd laughed it off because it's not like the truth would make sense.

The funeral ended and the crowd dispersed and like 20 years earlier, Rose found herself alone to say goodbye. "Tony, I always wondered what it would be like to have a little brother growing up. I'm glad I got you, you made living here, being trapped her, more bearable. When I get back, I'll tell the Doctor about how you helped me and how you defended this world. And he'll laugh and say that that's what Tylers do."

She grabbed a long-stemmed rose and laid it on the casket. "Goodbye Tony."

Leaving the cemetery, she headed back to the house she had shared with her husband. It still smelled of him and part of her could imagine he would come through that door, throw her that smile and say the words she had waited years to hear.

But she knew he wouldn't and as she let herself in, she wondered what she was going to do. The journal sat on the table, pages upon pages of her own notes scattered around it. Even with all that, she was no closer to figuring out how to get back to the "prime universe" as Jonathan had called it.

She guessed it was for that reason that she found herself on Dalig Uld Strandem hoping that this location would give her some clarity. She sat on the rocks, not too far from where she'd said goodbye that first time.

The waves came into the bay and if she chose to ignore that this place was one full of bittersweet memories, she could see the beauty in it.

Pulling the diary out of her backpack, she turned to a particular passage.

 _I remember that day on Bad Wolf Bay, the first time around when I ran out of time before I told you I loved you. Since we found ourselves on that same beach a few years later, I've tried to make up for not telling you that day. But I love you, Rose Tyler. Even if this version of me is gone, the one in the prime universe still loves you._

 _It broke my hearts to not be able to come to that beach that day and take you back to the TARDIS and go on to all of time and space. But I didn't have an option then. That goodbye was the best I could do and know that I spent months trying to find another option._

 _Remember when we were both left? That day that I realized what the other me realized, that we could have our "forever" just not in the way I had originally thought. That kiss on the beach as he went back to his universe, I'm sure it broke his hearts but it made me the happiest man alive._

 _I missed those moments alone in the library, the little touches we had, the moments that we would never admit to your mother. I missed you and that smile that is so unique and so special. And there I was, on the beach that originally broke my hearts but this time I was trapped with the woman I loved and the idea that our forever wasn't so unreachable anymore._

Closing the diary, Rose looked out over the ocean, wrapping in the shawl that she had gotten with Jonathan shortly after they were married. He said the colors reminded him of Galifrey and Rose got it to give him a piece of his home world.

Suddenly she heard a crash and saw a …. A motorcycle. It appeared out of nowhere and rode onto the beach. Sitting on it was a brunette woman who looked younger than Rose. The bike came to a stop a few feet from her and the woman turned to her.

"Hey, Goldilocks! You coming?"

 **AN: I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading. I appreciate it!**


	2. The Song Begins Again

**Author's Note: Wow, I have to admit, I've been grinning like crazy off and on this week seeing your reviews, follows, and favorites come in. Thank you so much for the warm responses to my fic, I greatly appreciate it! I'm glad you liked the beginning of this fic!**

 **Before I start the chapter, just want to give you a heads up to read the note at the end, I have a bit of a challenge for y'all.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of it's characters. If I did, we would have gotten that Metacrisis/Rose spinoff that was in the works. That and the rumored Christmas special of the Sarah Jane Adventures with Tom Baker. But at least I get to play with them here!**

 **Btw, there are some lines from the Fourth Doctor Adventure, City of Death. If you haven't watched it, it's on Netflix and is quite enjoyable!**

 **Alright, alons-y!**

Rose stared at the woman who parked her bike and slid off with ease. Her leather jacket hung loosely on her and was covered with different patches. Whoever this was, she seemed to know Rose, even though Rose couldn't place her.

"I said, you coming?" She walked over to Rose.

"Coming where?"

"Wow, you are thick when you're young." The girl raised an eyebrow at her.

"I'm sorry, who are you?"

A huge smile crossed her face. "I'm Ace! And I'm here to take you home."

"Home?" Rose knew she couldn't mean what she truly wanted her her to hear. But it seemed impossible.

"See, your older self, told me to come get you, young Rose, at this spot."

"A self-fulfilling paradox."

"Now you're getting it."

Rose looked over the beach that had given her so much heart break and for the first time in about 50 years she felt a little less helpless about her situation. Maybe Jonathan was right and and there was a way home. But to that fate that he had written about, was that possible?

"But how?"

"You'll find out soon enough! I believe a friend of yours would say, spoilers, so come on!" Ace ran over to her bike and got on. "Ya coming?"

"You're serious?" Rose slid the diary in her bag and began to walk towards the bike. It wasn't like she had anything to lose at this point and if this did work and she found her Doctor, she would be able to tell him that she did have a good life with the metacrisis.

And she could now give him her forever, which might match his.

"I swear on my Nitro 9 recipe."

Rose ran the rest of the way to the bike and jumped on behind Ace.

"Hold on tight." Ace started up the bike and popped a u-turn, kicking up a lot of sand as she did so. "It's going to be a bumpy ride."

"Are we safe crossing the void like this?"

"This once we are, trust me it's special circumstances." Ace revved the bike before taking off. Just before they would have run out of beach, suddenly the parallel universe faded away and for a second they were in a tunnel of golden energy that took Rose's breath away yet at the same time looked slightly familiar.

She didn't have long to think about it though before they came out the other side. Ahead of her, Rose could see the Eiffel Tower and felt her jaw drop. "We're in Paris!"

Looking up into the sky, she let out a laugh. There were absolutely no zeppelins in sight. It had been years, almost a century, since she could say that and she couldn't help but feel relief that she would never have to lay eyes on those noisy polluting bothersome machines ever again.

But what Rose noticed the most was the song that had started again in her head. The song was time itself as far as Rose could tell. It was something she hadn't noticed until she had been trapped in the other universe. It was then that she understood the Doctor's struggle with an empty head.

Now though, the song filled her head and it was joyous. The TARDIS was close and she was happy to see Rose.

The river, Rose couldn't remember it's name was not to far from where they had come through. On the road nearby, she noticed antique cars driving around.

"When are we?"

Ace smiled. "1979. But be careful here, an earlier version of the Professor is wandering around here. He's got to handle something, and then you can sneak onto the TARDIS."

Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a small bag. "It's going to be a couple of days so this should hold you over until then."

Rose took the bag and nodded and Ace mounted her bike. "See you soon."

"See ya, Rose." Ace revved the bike and turned around. "Good luck!"

Rose watched as she disappeared down the road before turning to see the city.

"Paris." She looked around trying to figure out what she wanted to do next. Something drove her to the Lourve and she realized that she could see the real Mona Lisa.

Well, this universe's Mona Lisa.

She had discovered a love of art about fifty years ago an had the privilege of seeing a lot of that universe's great masterpieces. Part of her wondered how many existed her in her home universe.

Wandering in, she was happy to see that it was just as amazing here as it had been in the other universe. Room after room displayed more art than one might believe exists. Also, she noted several things that weren't here yet that would make it's way in to the museum in the future.

Finally, she found herself in the room with the infamous Mona Lisa. As she entered the room, two people crowded around the painting. One was a tall man in a brown coat wearing the longest scarf Rose had ever seen. He was with a girl in a school uniform of some kind.

"Quite good? That's one of the great treasures of the universe and you say quite good?" Rose overheard the man say.

"The world, Doctor, the world." At the girl's comment, Rose did a double take at the man, studying her love more carefully. If she remembered Jonathan's stories, this was his fourth form.

"What are you talking about?"

"Not the universe in public, Doctor. It only calls attention."

Rose couldn't help but snort at that. The Doctor wasn't great at being subtle.

"I don't care. It's one of the great treasures of the universe!" His statement was quite loud.

"Shush!"

It was taking everything Rose had not to laugh. Some things never changed.

"I don't care. Let them gawp, let them gape. What do I care?"

"Why hasn't she got any eyebrows?" The girl asked.

Both Rose and The Doctor did a double take. "What? Is that all you can say? No eyebrows? We're talking about the Mona Lisa. It's the Mona…"

Rose moved out of the way of a tour group that was entering the room. It looked as if the Doctor's time with the Mona Lisa was about to come to an end.

"Good heavens, you're right. She hasn't got any eyebrows. Do you know, I never noticed that before."

Just as the tour guide was interrupting them, Rose felt a wave of… well she wasn't sure what sweep through the room. She almost fell over but whatever it was, it passed as quickly as it had come.

But the Doctor must have felt it too because she saw him fall down onto a bench before bouncing up and quickly leaving the room. Rose took a quick look at the infamous painting before leaving the museum as well.

Bags sat by the door as the twin suns set in the darkening orange sky. While she was so so proud of Theta, Penelope's heart broke a bit that her youngest son was off to the academy in the morning. Both her sons had made it, an accomplishment in this day and age, and tomorrow he joined Braxtiel in the ranks of the Time Lords.

Galifreyians were above love, above things that "lower species" did to advance their race. Both her boys were children of the loom but they were hers to raise until they hit this age.

An age that was too young to have their youth stripped away.

But the bags were packed and by the door and Theta was in bed. She would make sure that he got on last good night's sleep under her roof.

"You should be proud! Both your boys were accepted into the academy!"

People had been making the comments all week but it didn't stop her heart ache at the idea that starting tomorrow, she would have an empty house.

"Momma?"

Penelope turned to see Theta at the door to his room. Sleep filled his eyes, but she could see the fear he tried to hide from his father.

"Theta, you need to go to bed. If your father catches you up."

"I'm scared." The boy came running. "Can you read me one last story?"

How could she say no to one last bedtime story?

Picking up her sweet boy, she took him back into his room and got him settled in his bed. Leaning over, she picked up a book of Galifreyian tales and turned to one of her favorites. Sure, it was a story the Time Lords used to explain why time was so sacred but Theta had always seemed attached to it.

"Are you going to read the one about the Goddess?"

She smiled. "It's our favorite."

Theta snuggled close as she opened the book.

"Back when Galifrey was a primitive world, three men came together to advance the race. Alongside them stood three goddesses.

"But we're going to read about the Goddess of Time!"

"Are you telling this story or am I?"

"Sorry."

Penelope smiled before she continued to read. "The Goddess of Time was said to be from a land far away and a time long since passed but yet to come."

"How can she be from both?"

"Well, when you learn how, you can let me know. I guess you'll have to listen to your lessons." She gave him a look that caused him to squirm.

"Yes, ma'am."

Turning back to the book, she continued. "The golden glow of time matched her hair and she walked with a purpose. Those who said they met her said that she carried paradoxes and timelines with her seeking to guide them as best she could. The Goddess met a Time Lord when he visited her home world and they travelled together seeing and rescuing the stars."

"But we're supposed to just observe. That's what Brax says."

"Maybe back then, someone broke the rules."

"Or it was before the rule."

"Maybe."

"Keep going."

"One day, the Time Lord's life was in jeopardy and the Goddess was separated from him. She looked into the vortex and absorbed time itself so that she could rescue her love. Successful in her task, she was later separated from her love by what appeared to be unbeatable odds. This time, it would take more than the power of time to reunite them."

"But again she found him and again they were separated. Time would pass and with the help of friends, eventually he would meet the Goddess again. It was said that when that time came, she would call on him to be time's champion and rule alongside her. And for his service, she would try to right some of the wrongs that had been done in his life."

"The Goddess has not visited Galifrey for some time, but it is said that she will be here in the Moment that she is needed the most. And she will always be there for her Champion when he needs her."

Closing the book, she turned to see Theta sound asleep. Pulling the blanket over him, she wandered out of his room and back to the window. From there, she could see the statue of the Goddess that stood in the square. Grabbing a rose from the flowers in the yard, she made her way to the fountain and laid the rose at the feet of the statue.

"Please look out for my son, Goddess. I want him to be able to learn and grow and become the kind of Time Lord this world needs. There's so much in him that I fear the Time Lords will want to squash out. But maybe our world needs more of that. Protect him, please."

Kneeling at the fountain, she looked up at the woman who's image she had seen everyday for as long as she could remember. "Please."

"I will do my best."

Penelope turned to see a woman standing beside her, her golden hair falling carefully over her flowing blue dress. Double taking, Penelope went from the fountainside to the ground. "Thank you for showing me favor, Goddess of Time."

A chuckle met her as a hand came into her line of vision. "Rise Penelope, for without you, I would not be. Theta has a long hard road ahead of him, but I promise you, when he needs me most, I will be there for him. And he will be there for me."

The Goddess pulled Penelope to her feet. Her eyes glowing gold. "I wanted to meet you, here where things begin. And we will meet again, when things seem impossible."

"My Theta, he's…" Penelope couldn't help but wonder, couldn't dream of the idea of her boy being Time's Champion.

"He's going to be fantastic." The Goddess smiled as if she was enjoying some sort of inside joke. "Go home to him, Penelope."

"I will." Penelope took off towards the house, but paused to look back at the fountain. The Goddess was no where to be found.

But as she went back inside to check on her sleeping boy, she couldn't help but wonder if that was one of those new Type 40 TARDISes she heard. She wondered who forgot to release the parking break before dematerialization.

The last time Rose had been in Paris was a universe away and at least fifty years ago. Jonathan had surprised her with a trip there after a particularly tough case at Torchwood. They'd spent a long weekend there, taking in the sites and ignoring the obvious and increasing age difference.

This time, she was on her own. It had been two days and now Rose was looking for the TARDIS. She'd taken the Doctor somewhere the day before, Rose noticed the absence of the song for a few minutes but it returned with an apologetic note. Using the song, Rose was navigating the streets of Paris, looking for the beloved blue box.

Turning down another street, she heard the song grow louder in her head.

 _My Wolf! You are close!_

Rose turned, looking for the box.

 _Oh how I have, how I will miss you. My thief doesn't know yet but I can see what's ahead should you succeed in your task_

 _What task?_

 _It is a great one, my Wolf._

Rose slipped into a gallery and found the box sitting in front of a painting. The door opened a crack as she approached and Rose stepped inside.

For a second, the plainness of the console room surprised her. She was used the cathedral sized room with the coral struts and the warm lighting. This room, was mostly white with round things all over the walls that looked to be letting in sunlight, yet Rose wondered if it was the TARDIS providing the light.

The console itself was a lot smaller, the time rotor not reaching all the way to the ceiling like it would someday. And the console seemed more organized and smaller but was the same shape she was used to.

"Oh, I've missed you!" Rose ran her hand along the wall.

 _I have missed you. Quick, my Thief and his companion are going to return soon. Come to the library and we'll begin._

Rose wandered down a corridor, wondering if this sudden ability to hear the TARDIS was connected to the Bad Wolf.

 _You will learn in time, patience my Wolf._

She made her way to the library, marveling at how it too had changed. From what Jonathan had told her, each Doctor had stylistic preferences so the TARDIS changed to accompany them.

 _Plus, I am a woman. I'm allowed to change my looks every now and then._

"Fair enough." Rose entered the library. "Where do I start?"

 _In a section he doesn't frequent often, but to a book he once loved. Time for you to chase your destiny my Wolf._

 **AN: Alright, I have a challenge for y'all. In the opening chapter, I mentioned in Jonathan's (the metacrisis) letter that there was a list on the back page of things that he knew that the Doctor wouldn't have the courage to ask Rose to try to fix. I have a list written, but I'm curious as to what you think was on that list. I'd love to hear your input. You can leave it in a review or you can send it to me in a PM.**

 **Thanks for reading guys!**


	3. Journey's Beginning

**Author's Note: It's Sunday again and I've been looking forward to giving you this next chapter. I did make a last minute change while reading it over because after thinking it over, I decided the chapter needed it after all. I want to take a second to say THANK YOU for all the reviews, follows, favorites. When I posted the first chapter a couple of weeks ago, I didn't expect such a warm response. I really and truly appreciate it. I've been smiling all week when my email has let me know that I have another review, follow, favorite.**

 **This chapter is dedicated to EmmaKathy who gave me a great case of the Doctor/Rose feels with her review. I really enjoyed what you had to say about them.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who, Sarah Jane Adventures, or any of it's storylines and characters. This story is purely for me to get to explore the characters and unlock a potential time line that makes me happy.**

 **Also, there are some lines from The Parting Of The Ways and they belong to Russell T Davies.**

 **Enough from me, alons-y!**

Rose wandered into the wardrobe after several hours of doing research in the TARDIS library. So far, the TARDIS hadn't let her know that the Fourth Doctor had returned with his companion. She knew that whoever she was, she was after Sarah Jane who had been there through his regeneration from Three to Four. Maybe, she'd meet up with the past companion and they could have a much needed conversation.

Because after the incident at the school, she had really come to respect Sarah Jane.

Stepping into the wardrobe, she took a deep breath and inhaled all the different fabrics that filled the multi-storied room. For a bit, she let herself wander the room, seeing some outfits she remembered seeing the other time. Down a rack, near a staircase, she paused, running her hands down the pinstripe suit that she knew he would someday wear. Not for the first time since she'd come over with Ace, something she knew she would have to figure out sooner or later, she missed that Doctor so much it almost hurt to breathe.

The coat wasn't too far from it and she took it off the rack and threw it on, feeling the familiar weight on her shoulders. It already held a slight trace of the scent she'd come to associate with the Doctor and after minute, she put it back on the rack.

"Someday."

Moving on, she found the leather coat he would one day wear to meet her, a coat that looked like a rainbow threw up on it, and an umbrella that looked like a question mark.

Finally, she found the dresses and began her search for one that was blue like the TARDIS, yet functionable. After all, she knew this lifestyle that the Doctor led required a lot of running and she also knew she had a long task ahead of her. She wanted something modern, something classy, something that would give her the look she needed to face the task ahead.

The problem, or the blessing it depended on how she wanted to look at it, with the TARDIS' wardrobe was how expansive it was. She could get a dress from Earth, a dress from dozens of other planets with humanoid life forms, she could even go back to a long forgotten corner and get something from Gallifrey. But that didn't feel right to her.

Hopefully, she'd know it if she saw it.

Walking down the aisles she knew she wanted something that was TARDIS blue. Something about this ship that had become not only the Doctor's home but hers screamed time and if the TARDIS was right, she needed, or rather wanted, to reflect that.

She knew it when she found it, it looked like it would go down to the floor and the skirt was swishy and whimsical while the bodice looked like it was out of Ancient Greece but jeweled around the neckline. And of course, it was the rich TARDIS blue she so desperately wanted. She grabbed it and took it to the changing rooms and slid into the dress.

It was like the TARDIS made it for her, and Rose wouldn't be completely surprised if that was the case, she'd seen some of the things this impossible ship was capable.

 _Thank you, my Wolf._

Telepathy, something Rose would have to get used to. "You're welcome, Old Girl. Now, let's find some shoes."

 _Hurry, my Wolf, the Doctor is coming back and I won't be able to keep your presence from him for long._

Shoes were another department and she took a page out of the Doctor's book, in a sense that is. In the 54th century they would finally master the art of a shoe that was comfortable (and easy to run in), durable and fashionable. They looked like simple ballet flats but Rose knew they had plenty of mileage on them. And she would need it, because the TARDIS wasn't kidding about the task being a long one.

She hoped she could handle it.

Heading to accessories, she dressed up the look a bit, adding a tiara to her head, solely because she could and it would give her a look of royalty, of power. Simple, yet beautiful, the jewels played off the ones at her neckline. Grabbing a small bag, she threw the clothes from the other universe in, as well as the things she had brought and bought the last few days.

Finally, she was ready.

She secured the bag, letting it rest against her leg as she wandered back to the library to pick up a couple of things before making her way back through the unfamiliar, yet familiar hallways.

"Where to next, Romana?" the deep voice of the Fourth Doctor came from the console room.

"Doctor, do you sense someone else here?"

Rose took that as her cue to enter the console room. "Just me, don't worry."

The Doctor's face quickly went between shock, surprise, concern, and distrust (a look she hated on his face) before he finally responded. "And just who are you?"

Didn't take him long at all to ask her the question she had spent an hour figuring out the answer to; because, she didn't completely know who she was anymore. She wasn't his companion, not yet. She wasn't his lover and the lack of recognition in his eyes killed her.

She wasn't human any more, and she was far from the shop girl he had/would run with. Her husband was dead yet alive at the same time so she wasn't a widow. Luckily, the research the TARDIS had directed her towards gave her answer to his question.

"A being much like yourself, Doctor. One who is closely connected with time. It runs through your ship and the old girl and I were just conversing about what is, what was, and what is to come. She agreed to give me safe passage somewhere but wanted to wait for your return."

Romana's eyes grew wide and she knelt to the floor. The TARDIS had given Rose a look into this woman's future so she knew what was in store for the future Lady President of Gallifrey. "It is an honor to be in your presence Goddess of Time. Please excuse my companion's rude questions."

The Doctor took his hat off, giving Rose a bow. "I meant, no harm."

"I know, it's just who you are." She walked over, fingering the scarf. "Interesting look for you."

"So, we'll know each other in the future? Because, my dear, I don't believe we have met."

She smiled at him. "This is your fourth regeneration, correct."

He looked at her confused, a look she didn't see nearly enough on either of the incarnations she was familiar with. "Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Nothing especially." She walked up to him, placing a hand on his arm as she studied the man who had such a long way to go to become the man she loved. "It's nice to meet this you."

He smiled. "It's nice to meet you, my dear."

"You as well." Rose couldn't help but smile at the warm face of this young Doctor. "Rise Romana, for a long future awaits you."

Romana rose, a smile on her face. "Do we know each other in the future as well, my lady?"

"I certainly hope so."

Turning to the console, she keyed in the coordinates she had figured out earlier. "I apologize for the inconvenience, Doctor, but I'm needed on Gallifrey. By the way, did you enjoy the Mona Lisa?"

"I did, dear."

"Even with her lack of eyebrows?" Rose barely held in her laugh at the look of surprise on the Doctor's face. "I do agree that it is one of the universe's greatest masterpieces."

The time rotor started and she turned to study the man who would one day become the last of his species. The one who would become big ears and leather, then wild hair and pinstripes. Already, that man was here, in bits and pieces.

"How long do I have to wait to meet you properly?" He seemed to be studying her as well.

"One day, Doctor." She walked over, grabbed his by the scarf and pulled him close. But man, this regeneration was tall. She yanked him down closer to her level and kissed him. At first, the kiss was hesitant but she knew the moment that he began to kiss her back. It became slow and sweet, a renewing of a promise from her and a taste of what was to come for him.

With a thud, the TARDIS landed and she released the Doctor who stood there stunned. "Romana, take care of this one. He's all yours, for now."

Romana gave her a look. "I will."

"And Doctor?"

"Y-yes?" He seemed a bit flustered.

"You need to block these memories until," She whispered some words in his ear, "until I tell you that."

He nodded. "I will."

Going to the door, she turned to study the pair one last time. Taking a deep breath, she walked out the door.

About three years after they had been stuck in the parallel world, Jonathan had broken his leg and was incredibly frustrated that he didn't have the machines in the TARDIS to patch it right up. It was then that Rose had gottenhim to tell her tales of the world where he had grown up, after all he was familiar with hers.

 _"What was it like?" She handed him a cup of tea after a long day at work._

 _"The Timelords were a cold society. Love and feelings were supposed to be beneath us, but my mother didn't stop trying to subtly encourage us to be different. But Gallifrey itself was beautiful. The sky was burnt orange and twin suns shone down on hills of red grass. Silver trees blew in the wind and the Citadel of the Time Lords was a sight to behold."_

 _Rose couldn't help but study his wistful face as he recalled his hometown, the fountain of the goddess of time, his childhood home, and the field where he and Koshiel had played._

Snapping out of the memory, Rose studied the planet for the first time. And the Doctor was right; it was beautiful. She had parked the TARDIS on a hillside close to the Citadel but far enough away that she could get the view that Jonathan had told her about.

The suns were starting to set in the burnt orange sky and it hit the dome of the Citadel. It was as beautiful as she imagined and her heart broke a bit when she considered this planet's future. It had to happen, had to bring her Doctor to her so that she could become the Bad Wolf so she could find her way back to him and together they could save the universe time and time again.

The two of them, just how it should be.

But to get there, she would have to work for her forever. And it started in the Citadel. Walking that way, she knelt down and ran her hands through the red grass before reaching up and touching a silver leaf. She remembered telling her pinstripes Doctor about how she loved stepping out of the TARDIS and onto a new world. And the feeling didn't get old.

She walked for several minutes until she got near the wall of the Citadel. She could see the watchmen as they studied the landscape. It was time to assume her role on this planet that meant so much to her Doctor.

After all, she had to get him to the point where he'd become her Doctor.

She arrived at the gate and was greeted by a couple of guards. When they saw her, they kneeled. "How may we serve you?"

Smiling she waited for them to rise. "I need to go into the citadel and to the schism. It is of the upmost importance."

One of the guards nodded. "Of course, if I may escort you."

"Thank you," She paused, hoping for a name.

"Berit, ma'am."

"Thank you, Berit." Rose smiled at him. "I appreciate your assistance on my mission."

"It is an honor to serve you." He opened the gate and waved her in. She went in and found a courtyard that was mostly empty, more red grass, a tree with a couple of students studying. On the other side, she saw a table with some more.

Eyes seemed to fall on her as she walked through the courtyard and she saw as they all stopped what they were doing to kneel. Now she understood why the Doctor felt so uncomfortable with people referring to him as a god. It was a bit unsettling to get this treatment.

But she allowed Berit to lead her into the Citadel itself. And like outside, she received similar treatment as she walked through the vast hallways. Here, she saw the ornamental robes she had seen in the TARDIS. The colors were beautiful and people walked so regally, but she realized that no one wore the shade of blue she was currently wearing.

Maybe it was making her stick out a bit.

As she saw people continue to kneel, Rose couldn't help but wonder if she was going to be able to do this. For the first time in a long time, she felt every inch the small shop girl who had taken a strange man's hand and ran. Forget the fact that that was almost 100 years ago. Never in her wildest dreams would she have seen herself on an alien planet being worshipped as a goddess of time.

A title that she kinda actually held. Not that she had known that would be a consequence of looking into the heart of the TARDIS. She hadn't really thought about that as she had done it. All Rose had thought about was keeping her Doctor safe.

Finally, he led her down a corridor and Rose was met with a statue of herself. It was a good likeness and she made the mental note to add a note to add to her journal later that she needed to pose for the statue at some point.

"Here we are." Berit bowed to both her and the statue. "Shall I wait outside the chamber for your return?"

Rose shook her head. "After I spend some time at the schism, I'll take my exit from here for now. But I thank you for your help and will return to reward you."

Berit looked shocked. "It was an honor helping you, no reward needed."

"All the same, I'll be back when hope seems lost."

He looked troubled at that but nodded. "Thank you."

Nodding to him, she took a deep breath before waking into the chamber. As the doors shut behind her, she couldn't help but note how odd the room felt. The schism sat in the middle and the song of the TARDIS called to her from it.

 _When the Doctor took the Bad Wolf out of you, he disconnected you from time. The schism is a safe place to reconnect you to time so that you can fulfill your task and become the Goddess of Time allowing him to become your Champion._

The song called out to her and she walked forward and stared into the schism. The feeling was odd yet familiar as the song went through her head. And a memory, one she had long since lost, unlocked.

 _"I am the Bad Wolf. I create myself. I take the words, I scatter them in time and space. A message to lead myself here."_

 _"Rose, you've got to stop this. You've got to stop this now. You've got the entire vortex running through your head. You're going to burn."_

 _" I want you safe. My Doctor. Protected from the false god." And she saved him, the Emperor of the Daleks turning to dust under the power she had._

 _"Rose, you've done it. Now stop. Just let go."_

 _"How can I let go of this? I bring life."_

 _"But this is wrong! You can't control life and death."_

 _"But I can. The sun and the moon, the day and night. But why do they hurt?" The pain was unimaginable, and she understood why the TARDIS and the Bad Wolf had locked away this memory until she was ready._

 _"The power's going to kill you and it's my fault."_

 _When would he realize that it wasn't his fault? She had, would, promise him forever and she meant it. It was never his fault._

 _"I can see everything. All that is, all that was, all that ever could be." And it was intoxicating. The ability to go anywhere, be where she needed to be, the potential was endless._

 _"That's what I see. All the time. And doesn't it drive you mad?"_

 _"My head."_

 _"Come here."_

 _"It's killing me." Unbeknownst to her, and the Doctor, it was already changing her. It was getting her ready for her destiny._

 _"I think you need a Doctor." Did he really drop that line? And to her surprise, she saw her first kiss with The Doctor. Well her first technically his second (at least according to her math). One last perfect moment with that Doctor. Her first Doctor, the one she fell in love with._

She saw all of time and space for a second and for a second; it threatened to overwhelm her just like it had on the Game Station. But she found something to lock onto.

 _"Run!"_

She found herself watching her first Doctor. From Henricks to the Game Station they ran. Following his timeline, she found the form she had just kissed, one who favored an opera cape, the rainbow jacket, the question mark vest, and the one who looked like he had just stepped out of Victorian England.

So many forms yet they were all her Doctor and she was able to use him to ground herself as a howling grew inside her head. Finally, she looked away and felt more whole than she had felt in a long time.

But there was something else she saw in the schism, something she had heard from her Doctor, but hadn't quite believed it. After seeing what she'd seen, she knew she had to make a couple of stops first.

 **AN: Once again, thank you so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! :)**


	4. Some Things Are Worth It

**AN: Happy Sunday Whovians! Thank you so much for all the encouragement this week. I truly appreciate it.**

 **This chapter is was hard for me to write, and I'll admit I was nervous to do it. On that note, this chapter is in loving memory of Elizabeth Sladen who played my favorite companion, Sarah Jane Smith. The Whoniverse will never be the same without her here and I truly hope I did her character justice here.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of it's characters. Honestly, this story is purely stress relief for me because I love playing with these characters and it makes me feel better to fix some things. Besides, if I owned it, I would have brought back Donna already. Catherine Tate has said she'd love to come back...**

 **There are some lines from School Reunion and those belong to Toby Whithouse.**

 **Hope you enjoy! Alons-y!**

 _"What do I do? Do I stay with him?"_

 _"Yes. Some things are worth getting your heart broken for. Find me, if you need to, one day. Find me."_

Rose wandered down the street just outside of London still partially reflecting on what she'd seen in the schism and the raw power she now felt. It made her home universe seem that much more real and her upcoming reunion with the Doctor that much more of a reality.

But the TARDIS, as well as Jonathan, had both warned her that that would not be an easy task. Between the two she had a list of things to watch out for in order to help both her and the Doctor to have their happy ending. What she really needed was an old friend, some advice, and a good cup of tea.

Which is why she found herself walking down the suburban road, dress billowing in the breeze and earning her some odd looks from people as they passed her. Not that she cared, in fact she knew she had to be wearing a smirk on her face. If only they knew…

Bannerman Road, the street sign said and Rose saw a trio of children playing in the yard of number 13. The trio stopped as Rose walked up to the front door of the house and she could feel their eyes on her.

"Relax, guys. I'm an old friend of Sarah Jane's." She smiled at the group as she rang the door bell. Still, she could feel their eyes on her.

"Just a minute." She heard the familiar voice of the Doctor's former companion from inside the house and let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. The door opened revealing a face she hadn't seen in about 75 years and Sarah Jane didn't look like she'd aged a bit. Which was intentional on Rose's part. If she'd calculated correctly, it was only a few weeks after the Stolen Earth incident for her.

"Rose!" Sarah Jane quickly wrapped her in a hug and Rose closed her eyes and allowed herself to enjoy the embrace of a friend.

"It's good to see you, Sarah Jane. You said, that day on the TARDIS…"

Rose almost gave herself away and said all those years ago, but this wasn't the time for that. Not yet anyways.

"You said to find you one day, if I needed too."

An understanding look filled Sarah Jane's face. "There's someone I want you to meet and then I'll fix us a cuppa. Luke! Come over here!"

One of the boys came over to Sarah Jane's side and she put her hand on his shoulder. "Rose, this is my son, Luke. Luke, this is Rose Tyler, an old friend of mine. She travelled with the Doctor."

A big smile crossed Luke's face. "It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too, Luke." Rose smiled at the boy and how Sarah Jane was looking at him.

Snapping back to the present, she turned to Sarah Jane. "Since when did you have a son? I thought I got my timing right and this isn't long after the Stolen Earth incident."

"A little over a month since." Sarah Jane smiled. "But, Luke is a funny story. Let's catch up over tea. Something tells me you have an interesting story or two yourself."

Rose laughed as she entered the home. "Oh you have no idea, Sarah Jane."

Sarah Jane wandered into the kitchen, leaving Rose in the entryway but her voice echoed back. "It's been longer for you than it has for me, hasn't it."

"I'd say it's been a bit longer." Rose studied a picture on a table of Sarah Jane and Luke. A smile crossed her face as she saw how the woman she'd met not too long ago, at least in this universe, had made a life for herself.

Sarah Jane stood in the doorway and Rose could see that she had been studying her. "I put the kettle on."

"Thanks."

She walked up to Rose and Rose let Sarah Jane study her. "Your eyes, they're starting to look like the Doctor's a bit. How long has it been?"

"Too long. A life time."

"How old are you Rose?"

Rose couldn't help but laugh. "Weren't you taught that you shouldn't ask a lady her age?"

Sarah Jane joined in the laughter. "I was, but you're just giving me a lot of signals that tell me that it's been a lot longer for you than it has for me. And it doesn't look like they've all been easy years either."

"I'm 105. Last you saw me, I was about 26. Between universes, it's getting hard to tell how old I'm getting."

"105." Sarah Jane's jaw dropped. "And I thought the Doctor was good at looking young."

"He is. By the way, I met your second Doctor, the one with the scarf."

A smile crossed Sarah Jane's lips as Rose watched her eyes glaze a bit as if she were getting lost in a memory. "Oh that scarf of his. I was surprised he wasn't constantly tripping over it."

"That scarf has it's uses." Rose felt her cheeks go red.

"You didn't." Sarah Jane laughed. "Granted, I can't tell you the times I thought about it. But 105, Rose. What happened? Last I saw, the Doctor was dropping us all off. It was just your mother and his twin."

"Jonathan."

Sarah Jane gave her a look as she placed a cup of tea at the table and the two women took a seat. "Jonathan?"

"He always uses the alias John Smith. But when the Doctor left the Metacrisis and me on the beach in the parallel world, we created the alias Jonathan Noble."

"After Donna. Wait, he left you with the Metacrisis?"

Rose took a sip of her tea. "He wanted to give me the forever I wanted. Jonathan and I were supposed to grow old and die together. But I had to bury my parents, my love, and my brother in a cold unforgiving universe."

"Oh Rose. How long did you two have together?"

"About 55 years. He was… he never went senile in his old age. He was there until the end and he told me some of the stories about the adventures you two had."

"I'm so sorry Rose." Sarah Jane reached out and took her hand, giving it a squeeze.

"But enough about me for now. You've got a son?"

Sarah Jane launched into the tale of how she came to be Luke's mother and some of the other adventures she'd been having since she'd first met Rose. In exchange, Rose told her a bit about last 75 or so years.

"Can I meet this Mr. Smith?" Rose asked as she drank the last of her tea.

Sarah Jane got up and placed both mugs in the sink, rinsing them off. "Follow me."

Rose followed her up into the attic, enjoying the picture and the trinkets that were scattered around the house. They entered the attic to find a fun room that had more trinkets as well as a desk and papers that met the needs of both an adult woman and a group of school children scattered about.

"Mr. Smith, I need you." Sarah Jane called out with a smile on her face.

To Rose's surprise, one of the walls opened up and a supercomputer came out of the wall. It took a minute but the screen in the middle lit up and a voice came out. "Is everything okay, Sarah Jane? I sense a non-human life form in the house."

"That would be me, sorry." Rose waved. "I asked Sarah Jane if I could meet you."

"Who are you?"

"If I told you my real name, you would tell me I'm dead. Done that, twice technically - paperwork is a funny thing - or I could tell you some of the names I've been assuming lately."

"Rose Tyler, you're talking in circles worse than the Doctor."

"But she's right about being dead, well technically. Rose Tyler died in the Battle of Canary Wharf."

Rose couldn't help the shudder that came with the mention of that day. Even in the parallel universe, she took a few years to be able to walk into Torchwood without shuddering. "Technically, I was trapped in another universe that day."

"You never did explain to me how you're back. And what did Mr. Smith mean about you not being human. What are you?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I'm my own thing, I think. If I may." She nodded towards Mr. Smith. "Do you mind if I input some data?"

"Feel free." Mr Smith answered.

Rose went over and pushed a couple of keys. "There was, well will be, a station that is stationed just outside the Earth's atmosphere. It will be built in the year 199,900 and the Doctor and I will visit it twice. It was on that second visit that Jonathan and I believed that I started to change. Of course, the Doctor tried to send me away when things looked bad and I looked into the heart of the TARDIS, took the time vortex in, flew back, took care of the Daleks, and saved him."

"What?"

Rose smiled. "I wasn't going to leave him there. But the Doctor regenerated, we moved on and he never checked me over to see if there would be any side effects to that little adventure. To be honest, I didn't think anything of it. I wouldn't for about 15 years or so."

"You're getting worse than the Doctor, you know that?" Sarah Jane had her arms crossed and eyebrow raised.

"Jonathan said that a lot too." Rose let out a sigh. "He said sometimes I could yammer worse than him."

"Rose, if I may, how did you manage to cross the universal walls? As far as I can tell, there have been no breaches since the Stolen Earth incident." Mr. Smith interjected.

"I'm not sure, to be honest. I helped, or rather I will help, an old friend of the Doctor's come and get me, well the me of my recent past, in the other universe. Just another thing to add to my ever growing to-do list. Mr. Smith, if I give you a few names, can you research information on them for me? The TARDIS gave me some but I think she wanted me to come to you for help as well."

"I will do my best, Rose."

"Names?"

Rose nodded. "Jonathan gave me a wish list. Things that he knew the other him would never be willing to ask me to help with but he wished he could have done something about. I'm going to see what I can do."

"Let me see the list, Rose."

"Mr. Smith, compile anything you can find on that and any Bad Wolf references that are near them. I'll take a look when I return. I've got a few things to do."

"Visit soon, Rose."

Rose began to focus the energy from the schism. "I think you'll be seeing a lot of me for a bit, Sarah Jane."

With that, she closed her eyes, focused on her next destination and let the power of the vortex take her there.

The last time Rose had been in Cardiff was right before she "died" the second time. Jonathan and her made a day trip to the bay and to see the sights and to relive some old memories.

It didn't look that different. Rose faced the place where the TARDIS landed that day, the last time she'd been in Cardiff in this universe, and she'd had an adventure with Jack and Mickey.

"It's been awhile since I saw you here." She turned to see Captain Jack Harkness leaning up against a railing.

"Jack." She took off for him launching herself into his arms for a much needed hug. "Oh Jack, I'm so sorry. I didn't know, what I did, I just wanted you alive and I couldn't bear the idea that you died because the Doctor and I brought you there and you were/are one of my best friends and…"

"Rose, Rosie" She felt him rub her back. "I know, I know you couldn't control what happened when you brought me back. The Doctor, he explained it to me. I guess I should feel special that the Big Bad Wolf loved me so much she couldn't bear to have me die."

"But you can't die, and I saw, you've died a lot."

"Did you also see all that I've been able to do to protect your home planet?" Jack sat on the railing, patting to the space beside him. Rose joined him. "By the way, digging the dress. Very Greek Goddess."

"Kinda what I was aiming for." She smiled at him.

"I thought the Doctor was going to leave you in the other universe with his twin."

"You knew about that?"

"I suspected." Jack put his arm around her. "But here you are, not too much later."

Before Rose could answer, Jack's vortex manipulator started to beep and he took a look. "Oh, looks like something came through the Rift. Care to come join me?"

"An adventure with my favorite Captain?" Rose jumped off the railing. "Let's go. And then you can show me this hub of Torchwood."

"How do you know about that?" Jack led her out of the plaza.

"Jonathan, the Metacrisis, told me about it." Rose followed him and he opened the passenger side of a SUV. Rose slid in and Jack shut the door before running around and getting into the driver's seat. He plugged some coordinates into the GPS and then they took off through the streets of Cardiff.

"So, saving the Earth. Quite a long way from champagne during the London Blitz."

She turned to see Jack smile at that. "I still think of you every time I hear that song. I remember when it came out and I could remember that day. The day my life changed for the better."

The pair were silent as Jack navigated to whatever signal his vortex manipulator was picking up. He pulled up outside a street of stores and got out. Rose followed him and they made their way into an alley way where a figure stood about 50 feet away.

"Weevil." Jack pulled out a gun.

"Wait, so you're just going to shoot it." Rose glared at her friend.

"Relax, this is just going to sedate it for transportation back to the hub." Jack checked it over before making his way towards the creature. "Easy now, big guy."

Rose followed him. Suddenly, the Weevil took off and Jack swore as he took off after it. Rose let out a laugh as she followed him, actually passing Jack.

"Keep up, Captain."

She ran after the Weevil relishing in the fact that she was on a mission and running again. She hadn't got to run like this in years and words couldn't express how good it felt. It wasn't like going to the gym or running in Tony's neighborhood. This was the running she loved.

The Weevil reached a dead end and stopped, turning around so that Rose could get a good look at it for the first time. "Where are you from?"

"Not here. I don't know what happened. I was heading home to my wife and kids when I suddenly ended up here."

"Relax, it's okay."

"You speak my language?" It looked at her.

"You understand it?" Jack came up behind her.

"Drop your weapon, Captain." Rose turned back to the Weevil. "What's your name?"

"Gagerrock."

"I'm Rose. What star system is your planet in?"

He answered her and Rose decided to try something. "I'm going to try and send you home."

Holding out her hands, she focused on the power of the vortex, feeling the energy of the nearby rift giving her a hand. Gagerrock started to glow gold before he faded away with a "thank you."

"What did you just do, Rosie?" Jack continued to stare to where Gagerrock had been standing.

"I sent him home. He had a wife and children. Gagerrock was just scared because one second he was home and the next he was here."

"You sent him home? How?"

"The vortex. Remember how I made you immortal?"

Jack nodded.

"Same power. The Doctor disconnected my battery so to speak which caused him to regenerate. I got a past form to take me to Galifrey and I reconnected said battery. I'm a goddess on the Doctor's home world. It's weird."

Jack started to laugh. "You're kidding."

She laughed with him. "I can't make this up."

They laughed as they made their way back to the SUV. It only took them a few minutes to find a parking space for the SUV and to wander back towards where Rose had first found Jack. "So what were you doing out here?"

"I picked up an odd energy signature, must have been you after what happened with the Weevil-"

"Gagerrock."

"Gagerrock." Jack humored her and Rose couldn't help but roll her eyes. "So I came upstairs to see if it was something I needed to take care of."

"Upstairs?"

Jack stepped up onto a tile and waved her over. "I'll show you."

Deciding that it was her turn to humor Jack, she stepped up beside him and he put a hand firmly around her waist. At her look, he held his hands up. "Safety precaution."

Suddenly, the tile below Rose began to sink into the ground. Rose gasped and was suddenly glad for the grip Jack had on her as they made their way down into a large room. Looking around, Rose couldn't believe the size of the room. Jonathan had said that Jack worked for Torchwood and he's said Jack had said that this Torchwood was different but this looked nothing like Canary Wharf.

Or the Torchwood she had helped run in the other universe.

"Welcome to Torchwood Three." Jack stepped off the tile as it came to a stop. He held out a hand and Rose took it and stepped off before the tile took off to take it's place back above them. A pterodactyl flew around the signal and a giant machine took up a fair amount of space.

"Wow."

"Not half bad." Jack slid off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves. "It's home."

"It's empty."

"I gave Gwen and Ianto the night off. We've had a rough year and I figured they deserved some downtime." Sadness filled Jack's eyes and Rose came over and gave him a hug. "It's good to see you, Rose. But I never did ask you, what are you doing here?"

"I'm checking up on you. I saw you in the schism, saw what I had done. Jonathan told me but I guess I didn't fully believe him until I saw it for myself. Plus you were/are one of my best friends in this universe. In any universe actually."

"You're rambling Rose." Jack led her into an office and waved at a seat in front of a desk before placing a cuppa in front of her.

"I do that, The Doctor and Jonathan rubbed off on me a bit too much." Rose smiled sheepishly before taking a sip of her second cuppa of the day. "That and it's been a really long day. I haven't slept since 1979."

Jack laughed. "What were you doing in 1979?"

"Commandeering the TARDIS."

Jack stared at her for a moment and Rose knew he was trying to figure out just how serious she was being. "Wait, you're serious?"

She nodded. "It was nice seeing him again, even if he had no idea who I was. That was a bit hard."

"I bet. You're welcome to sleep in my room. I think I'm up for the day."

"I appreciate it, Jack."

They finished their tea and Jack showed her the ladder that led to his room and she followed him down. He gave her a quick tour and then wandered up to his office.

After a shower, Rose threw on a pair of PJs she'd bought in the 1970s and pulled out the journal from her bag. "Jack?"

"What's up, Rose?"

"Do you know a good place nearby where I can get a journal?"

"I'll send Ianto out when he comes in."

"Thanks."

Rose find a scrap piece of paper and made some quick notes, hoping to expand when she had her own journal. From there, she read the letter in the end as well as the to-do list that Jonathan had asked her.

How was she going to manage it all?

Digging further into the bigger on the inside clutch, she pulled out the scrapbook she'd brought over from the other universe. Opening it, she ran her hand over her wedding photo. Jonathan smiled back at her and it made her heart ache.

Putting the scrap book away, she pulled back the covers before pulling them tight around her. They smelled like Jack and that comforting smell let her finally fall asleep.

But not before she came up with an idea to help Jack.

 **AN: The thing with the Weevils always annoyed me in Torchwood so I gave Rose a chance to make it right.**

 **I have a picture of the dress I picked out for Rose. If I were to post it somewhere, where would be a good place to do it? And yes, I do have it mapped out to tell you how I got to the age I did, if y'all would like to see it. Mainly it's based on assumptions I've made based on things I heard in the show to an extent then the rest is my made up canon for the sake of continuity and this story.**

 **One last thing before I sign off this week. I don't usually do this but my birthday is this Friday. I'm turning 24 and would love to hit 24 reviews by then. I really appreciate the reviews you guys have been sending, they make me happy and I love the feedback.**

 **See you guys next week! :)**

 **Until next time guys! :)**


	5. Reunions And Plans

**Author's Note: Hey guys! It's Sunday again and I managed to get this up earlier in the afternoon this time! :) Thank you so much for the reviews and the birthday wishes this week. I greatly appreciate it. To me, this is us shifting out of the introduction and a bit more into Jonathan's to-do list for Rose as well as her assembling a team that will help her.**

 **And to those who asked, I'm outlining in my head when Ten will officially show up into this tale. I have some ideas going but you've got a bit but I hope you'll stick with me because I have something fun coming up in a couple of chapters.**

 **No episodes referenced here, though I do hint at one that is upcoming in this universe.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who. If I did... just going to leave that there.**

 **Enjoy! Alons-y!**

Rose woke slowly the next morning and just for a second thought she was back on the TARDIS and Captain Jack Harkness was traveling with them. After all, why else would she smell him nearby? But then she opened her eyes and found herself laying in his bed in his room under the hub of Torchwood Three and the events of the last few days came crashing in around her.

Laughing, she grabbed the dressing gown she'd hung the night before making her way up the ladder towards the smell of coffee. Last night, Rose had heard Jack mention a Ianto and if he was anything like his counterpart in Pete's World than Rose was hoping to get some coffee.

She entered Jack's office and found a note on the desk.

 _Rose,_

 _Had to go to London to meet with the Prime Minister. Sorry, we've had this on the books for weeks and by the time you arrived it was too late to postpone it. I should be back later this afternoon. Meanwhile, Ianto and Gwen should be around to keep you company and when I get back we can talk some more._

 _Jack_

Wandering back into the main part of the Hub, she saw a woman staring at some monitors on the computer and another gentleman tidying up. The gentleman noticed her first and turned, a smile covering his face as he went over and picked up a package. "Jack said you were looking for one of these. I hope this works."

Rose opened the package to find a journal. The cover was a gold and blue swirled pattern that made Rose smile. "It's perfect, thank you Ianto. I'm Rose, by the way."

"Jack told us you arrived last night." The woman stood up. "I'm Gwen."

"Rose." She smiled at the girl who looked like a mirror of the woman she had met in Cardiff with The Doctor so long ago. "This Torchwood is different from what I'm used to."

"You worked in Torchwood tower?" Ianto studied her.

"Not in this universe. I ran Torchwood One in a parallel universe for about ten years. Then I ran it from the shadows for a while longer. Speaking of, Ianto are you half as good as your parallel counterpart at making coffee?"

The pair stared at her for a second.

"How about I let you be the judge of that." Ianto wandered away leaving Rose alone with Gwen.

"Can I ask you a question?" Gwen finally broke the silence.

"Sure."

"What was Jack like, before he started working for Torchwood?"

Rose laughed. "Let me go get some real clothes on, I'm probably going to have to bum some money off of Jack to get some clothes, and then I'll tell you the story of how I met Captain Jack Harkness."

Heading back downstairs, she changed into the jeans and shirt she was wearing in the parallel universe before heading back upstairs. Ianto met her at the door to Jack's office and handed her a cup of coffee. Rose breathed in the aroma before taking a sip, closing her eyes in pleasure. "It exists here too. Hallelujah."

"I passed inspection?"

"With flying colors. Now come on, I'm telling stories on Jack to Gwen if you want to listen in."

The trio sat down and Rose told them about the night in London during the Blitz where the Doctor and her had fallen for Jack's con. Gwen and Ianto kept trying to butt in with questions, so the story took a while to get through. Nanogenes were fascinating to both of them and Rose explained the as best she could. Actually, she'd had Jonathan explain them better to her in one time so now she understood a little better what happened that night.

And that was how Jack found them. Some work got done that day but Rose told stories, not just on Jack but she told about what happened at Canary Wharf (Ianto had asked after admitting he worked there that day) and a bit about the parallel Torchwood.

"See, here I thought you guys would be good and productive to show off for our guest and I came back to find out that you have been gossiping without me." He stood by the entrance with his arms crossed.

Rose jumped at looked at the time on Gwen's monitor. "Wow, I didn't realize it had gotten that late."

Gwen started gathering her stuff. "I should get home. Reese is probably wondering what's keeping me. He'll blame you, I'm sure."

"He usually does." Jack smiled. "Tell him I said hi."

Ianto handed a cup of coffee to Jack and a fresh one to Rose. "If you don't mind, I'm going to take off for the night."

"Good night Ianto." Jack smiled as the man gathered his things and left. "Thanks again for keeping Rosie company."

Suddenly the hub was quiet with just Rose and Jack left. After a minute, Jack stood up. "Come on, Rose. Let's go out. Grab some food. Something you couldn't get in the other universe."

"I'm not really dressed to go out."

"You're fine. We'll go somewhere casual and maybe do a little shopping while we're out. You need something besides that dress, not that you weren't rocking it." Jack led her through another entrance and they came out at what looked like a tourist information booth. Once outside, Rose found herself where she had started the day before.

"What's with the tourist center?"

"It's a good cover." Jack smiled as he led her to the SUV. Once again, he opened the door and let her in before getting in himself. He drove them about ten minutes away to a street of shops and restaurants. "Anything stick out?"

They ended up in an Italian place, something Rose had been able to get in the parallel universe but was just in the mood for.

"So what are you going to do, Rosie?" Jack asked after the waiter had brought them some wine. "Wait around for the Doctor to show up?"

"Jonathan gave me a to-do list of things he wished he could change but knew that his counterpart would never ask for my help with. Alongside that, the TARDIS gave me some things that I can fix that he didn't know about. Then there's a legend…"

She told Jack about the legend from what Jonathan had said. Later in the journal, he had written out from memory and she'd taken the storybook out of the TARDIS library for future reference. Hopefully Mr. Smith's search would turn up more.

"Wow Rosie." Jack took a sip of his wine. "That's a lot to deal with."

"Yup, and I'm going to need help. Which is why I'm going to send some people your way."

"Who did you have in mind?"

Rose took a sip of her wine and smiled. "Mickey and Martha. You need some more muscle and someone good with computers, that's Mickey. And Martha is familiar with Torchwood's medical department as well as UNIT's. Also…"

"Also?" Jack gave her a look.

"Donna. He had to… he…" Rose's heart had broken for both The Doctor and Donna when she read what Jonathan said was going to happen, well what had happened, after the pair left them in the parallel world. Then he made a desperate plea for her to find a way to save her. "He had to wipe any and all memories of him from Donna. Well, block them is the better word. She can't remember them unless I can find a way to allow her brain to hold the knowledge of a Time Lord."

"Well, Martha and I keep in touch. Last I heard, the pair was in London. Martha resigned from UNIT and I'm trying to coax her to come work for me."

The waiter brought their food and the pair started to eat. "Well, sounds like we might have to make a field trip to London."

A couple days later, Rose walked into a cafe in London and saw Mickey sitting across from Martha. Now, she'd only met Martha briefly right before she'd been trapped in the other universe with Jonathan. But Mickey she knew and words couldn't express what she felt when she saw her old friend.

She came up behind them and felt tears threatening to fall. "Mickey."

In surprise, Mickey turned around and saw her standing behind him. "Rose?"

He jumped out of his chair and gave her a hug. "What are you doing here and not with The Doctor? Are you okay? What did he do? Am I going to have to hunt down Jack Flash and then the Doctor?"

"Why hunt me down, Mickey Mouse. You could just call. You too, Miss Jones." Jack joined them.

Rose held on to Mickey. "Oh, Mickey, I missed you."

She looked over his shoulder to see the way Martha Jones was studying her. "And Martha Jones. Jonathan told me what you did for him, well for the Doctor after I was forced into that other universe."

Walking over she held out a hand. "Thank you for being there for him, for walking the Earth to help him defeat the Master."

Martha stared at her for a second before taking Rose's hand and shaking it. "It was my pleasure."

Rose took a seat at the table and Jack sat across from her. "I'm going to cut to the chase. You two are going to come and work for Jack. He needs help, you two needs jobs, and I've got a bit of destiny to fulfill and I'm going to need all the help I can get."

The two stared at her for a second before Mickey finally broke the silence. "Care to run that by us again Rose and add on the bit where you tell us who Jonathan is and where the Doctor is."

What a difference two weeks made.

Two weeks ago, she was at Tony's funeral. Two weeks ago she had absolutely no hope of getting back to her Doctor even though Tony and Jonathan knew there had to be a way. And now?

Now she was sitting on the couch in the Torchwood Hub watching Gwen explain the computer system to Mickey. Over in the medical wing, she could hear Jack and Martha talk about the inventory and what she felt they needed. Ianto smiled as he handed her another mug of coffee and Rose returned it.

She wandered back over to the table she had set up shop at and looked at Jonathan's handwriting, running her hand across the page. Beside it, sat her newer one, the first few pages already filled with notes.

"So, I saved the world with a big yellow truck and now you're going to get to live happily ever after?" Mickey came up beside her.

"Eventually. Something's coming, here at Torchwood. I can feel it in the timelines." She looked off into space.

"Like the Doctor?"

"Maybe? Probably since it comes from the same source." She turned to her old friend. "Do you ever think about it?"

"Think about what?"

"When we were just young and stupid and living in council flats? Things were so simple back then."

"You didn't know the Doctor and you can't tell me you'd go back."

She smiled. "I wouldn't. But you know what I mean."

"I know. But I don't think I could imagine going back."

"That's right. You wouldn't have met Dr. Jones. Don't think I haven't seen how you look at her." Rose gave her old friend a look. "You never looked at any of the girls you dated in the parallel world like that."

"She's special. And oddly enough we bonded over the Doctor and our experiences."

"You can be completely honest with her."

"I can." Mickey pointed at the papers on the table. "Any idea where you're going to start?"

"I think I'm going to start with Donna Noble. Mr. Smith is running some of the other names. I only know what Jonathan told me about them and for some of them it's not enough to figure out the best course of action. I'm not even sure how I'm going to find the Doctor so I figured I would knock as many of these out as I could."

"Couldn't you just lock onto the TARDIS? Bad Wolf is the two of you together, right?"

Rose considered Mickey's question. "Maybe but I get this feeling that I shouldn't quite yet. There are things to do first."

"Rose?" Martha walked over. "I was wondering if you'd let me run some tests on you. We know you're not exactly human but maybe establish a baseline in case something happens and you don't have access to The Doctor or the TARDIS."

Rose smiled at the young doctor. "That's a great idea."

A couple hours later, she found Jack in his office. Papers covered the desk and she saw a look of concentration on his face. "Trouble's coming."

"I heard you tell Mickey. Can you tell me anything else?" He didn't even look up.

"You know I can't. But when it comes, if I'm not here, call me." She saw Ianto's timeline. The potential it had to end there. But there was potential for it not to. Martha and Mickey helped increase that potential, but she could help too.

"You're going to leave soon."

"I have to. You know this isn't where I belong."

Finally, Jack looked up. "A guy can hope, can't he?"

She smiled. "We'll always have the Blitz. And we'll both be around for awhile."

"Yeah. The once poster boy in me can't help but wonder what I'll look like a few centuries from now."

"You were a poster boy?" She took a seat in one of the chairs in front of his desk.

"Used to be a poster boy when I was a kid living on the Boeshane Peninsula. Tiny little place. I was the first one ever to be signed up for the Time Agency. They were so proud of me. The Face of Boe, they called me… what?"

At Jack's question Rose realized she had done a horrible job of keeping the surprise of her face. But she couldn't help it. "I'm sorry, they called you what?"

No.

Jack?

The Face of Boe. Jonathan mentioned seeing him die when he went back to New Earth with Martha… but no.

No.

It couldn't be.

"The Face of Boe. I thought it sounded like a fun alias. Might have to use it someday. Can't be Captain Jack Harkness forever can I… Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm peachy. I'll be right back." Rose got up and headed to the medical wing where Martha was reviewing her scans. "I need you to verify something for me."

The woman turned to her. "What?"

"The Face of Boe?" She nodded back to Jack's office. "He really did die on New Earth?"

Martha nodded. "I saw it myself. The Doctor was really upset and then we found out that the Face of Boe was…"

"Timelines, don't finish that sentence." Rose looked towards Jack's office but for some reason he hadn't followed her. "But that means he arranged The Doctor and my first date."

"Seriously?"

Both girls enjoyed a good laugh over that and that was when Jack took it as his cue to come see what was going on. He found them both doubled over.

"What's so funny?"

"Even if we told you, you wouldn't believe us." Rose finally managed to say. But she wondered if she would have to tell him someday for the sake of timelines. What Jack must have felt seeing his old friend and to have that friend have no idea as to who he was."

Actually, she knew exactly how that would feel. And it made her feel bad.

Then again, she imagined Jack spent half the event egging the two of them to get on with it.

"Rose?"

Turning she saw that Jack had been trying to get her attention. "Sorry, I got distracted."

"We noticed." Jack raised an eyebrow at her.

 **AN: Thanks for reading. Since Rose is a New Who character, she tends to gravitate towards other New Who characters but I'm looking for an opening and an excuse to introduce some Classic ones (besides the always fabulous Sarah Jane Smith in). They are coming and I'm excited.**

 **Thanks again for reading! See y'all next week! :)**


	6. Never Forget

**Author's Note: Hello again guys! I promise I haven't abandoned this story. I've been doing NaNoWriMo this month and I thought I could manage to do both (lies I tell myself sometimes). But I've been working on this chapter and wanted to get it to you today in honor of tomorrow's anniversary! Happy 52nd Birthday Doctor Who.**

 **I had someone ask me for something and while I don't think this is quite what you meant, I hope you enjoy it. :)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who, the Sarah Jane Adventures, Torchwood, or any of these wonderful characters.**

As Rose pushed through the vortex towards Chiswick, she felt the TARDIS calling from a location a few years back. Deciding to investigate, she followed the song and landed in a field.

For a second, she was overwhelmed by the wrongness she felt in time. She had never felt such mental pain before and it was everywhere here.

 _I'm sorry, My Wolf. I didn't know it would upset you. It will fade with time now that my Thief has succeeded with the help of his friends._

"What happened?"

 _The year that never was._

"I'm so sorry." Rose found the TARDIS and leaned up against the side of the majestic wooden box. The TARDIS hummed in love and appreciation.

 _It is not your fault. But you can prevent another tragedy._

"What can I do?"

 _"Take the ring."_

Rose peeked around the TARDIS and quickly collapsed back against the side of the TARDIS. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and peeked again. Standing about 50 feet away from her was her Doctor. His hands in his pockets the way he did when he was brooding, his coat flapping in the slight breeze in the Quarry.

What Rose had first thought was a bonfire, she quickly realized was a funeral pyre. It was burning brightly and The Doctor just stared at it.

"Who was that?"

 _The Master. The one who caused the disruption in time. But he was also a close friend to My Thief once upon a time._

With a sigh, Rose watched her love mourn the loss of a friend. Jonathan had told her some stories about the early days with Koshiel, the days before the drums took over and he became The Master.

"Oh, Doctor." Rose's heart broke for him. After a few minutes, he turned away from the pyre and began walking back to the TARDIS. Rose could see the anger, the grief, the pain, everything he would hide the second he crossed the threshold and saw whoever was waiting inside.

But here, for a minute, she got to see her Doctor being real. She got to see him again, see the face she hadn't seen, well wouldn't see until that day on Bad Wolf Bay.

It took every fiber of her being to stop herself from running out to him, wrapping her arms around him, snogging him senseless, and talking about everything that had happened.

But she couldn't.

Because as far as this Doctor knew, she was trapped in Pete's World. The stars were just starting to go out over there and she was about to hop dimensions in search of him.

So much that would lead her here.

The Doctor went inside the TARDIS and with a familiar creak, the door shut behind him. After a few seconds, she began dematerializing.

 _Until next time, My Wolf._

"Until next time." Rose smiled as the TARDIS finished disappearing and she went over to the smoldering pyre and began walking around it. Buried in the ashes, it wasn't surprising that The Doctor had missed it, was a green ring. Picking it up, the potential time line almost overwhelmed her.

She saw The Doctor die a slow painful death. She watched him take time to visit all of his friends while holding back the change. She saw the Master reborn and Gallifrey's desperate attempt that The Doctor stopped. She saw Wilfred Mott, a man she'd met briefly before she'd been stranded yet again in Pete's World.

Collapsing down to her knees, she balled her hand in a fist around the ring. She could feel the Master's madness in the ring. She needed a safe place to store it. To keep the Time Lords from attempting to unleash a failed plan.

She disappeared and reappeared deep in the TARDIS.

"Keep him from sensing me. I just don't trust this anywhere else."

 _Move quickly. I can't hide your presence for long. But I have a spot for it._

Rose let the TARDIS lead her down the familiar halls to a storage area. Dust was settled everywhere and Rose could tell the Doctor had visited here in a long time. She then placed the ring in a box that the TARDIS pointed out shutting the case with a slight hiss.

Leaving the room, she prepared to teleport out when she heard The Doctor yell. "Rose!"

She hesitated. There was no way he knew she was here, he couldn't. It was still too early for him.

"Rose!"

 _He's having a nightmare, My Wolf. He has them frequently._

Against her better judgment, she wandered down the hallway towards the sound of the yelling. She came across his room and the door clicked open.

 _Be careful. He cannot know that you were really here. It is too early._

"Tell me something I don't know." Rose muttered as she found The Doctor tossing and turning in his bed. Sweat covering his forehead.

"Rose!"

Rose stepped into his bathroom and grabbed a towel, dampening it slightly before coming back out. She wiped it gently across his forehead. As if he knew she was there, The Doctor visibly relaxed and Rose took a deep breath and inhaled the scent that she'd come to associate with him. It clung to this room and for a second she couldn't breathe.

He was here. Her Doctor.

"I'm dreaming, aren't I?"

Rose turned to see him staring at her. For once, he wasn't dreaming but she had to make him believe he was. "What are dreams but a chance to see the ones we can no longer?"

He sat up in bed and she sat down beside him he pulled her into a hug and Rose returned it. "But it feels so real."

"I miss you, Doctor." She couldn't hold it back. Even if he didn't remember or thought this was nothing more than a dream, she had to tell him.

"Rose I —" He got choked up. "Rose, I'm sorry I didn't get to finish that statement on the beach."

"I still love you. I always will."

"Still promising me forever?"

"Always." She took his hand and placed it in her lap. "You know, you shouldn't be traveling alone, Doctor. Find someone else. You need someone."

"They won't be you."

"They won't be but don't expect them to be, like you did with a certain Martha Jones." Rose got up. "I love you, Doctor. Never forget that."

"I love you too, Rose Tyler."

Rose leaned down, holding back the tears that statement brought as she kissed his forehead and brought her hands to his temples. The Doctor fell back asleep and she got him settled in bed. The nightmares would bother him no more that night.

With one last look, she made her way back into the hallway. "Make sure he finds someone, isn't it almost time for him to find Donna?"

 _I will._

Rose walked up a hillside enjoying the sight of the stars that filled the sky of her home universe as the dress she was growing to love swished around her. They were just a bit different and for the first few years, she and Jonathan had had a blast enjoying learning all the new names and constellations.

In the end, she'd known them as well as he had. And he'd taken to drawing ones in this universe to teach them to her. Knowing what she knew now, she guessed he was training her for when she would return to this universe. Oh Jonathan…

At the top of the hill, sat an old man she'd only briefly met and seen in her earlier vision. Jonathan spoke fondly of Donna's grandfather and told her about his little place on the hill where he'd come to look at the stars. She remembered the story he told her about Donna's first "trip" and how they'd flown by so that he could see a real spaceship and she could show her gramps how real The Doctor was.

Still he looked into that telescope. And Rose couldn't help but smile.

"Wilfred Mott?" She asked even though she knew the answer.

Wilf looked up and his eyes widened. "It's you. You were with The Doctor that day? Where is he? Have you seen him?"

"I haven't seen him since that day either. Rose Tyler." She held out her hand.

"Wilfred Mott. Can you fix Donna?" He shook her hand, his eyes hopeful.

"My husband asked me to. I'm going to do my best." Rose played with the necklace she now wore around her neck. Her wedding ring rested on the chain to let her keep that piece of Jonathan close.

Wilf jumped up, a smile quickly growing across his face. Rose couldn't help but smile back at him.

"I need you to tell me everything The Doctor told you. Jonathan could only explain to me what he figured The Doctor would do." Rose followed him as he rushed down the hill.

"He said he blocked every memory of him from Donna. She can't remember or her mind will burn."

Rose nodded. "True. The human mind isn't meant to hold the mind of a Time Lord. But neither was mine and I've turned out alright. Well, granted that's different…. But it's a theory."

"What are you talking about?" Wilf turned.

"I'm going to have to wait for her to go to sleep. I don't want the sight of me to cause her mind to burn. Then I can come in and take a look and figure out the best course of action."

Rose followed him, stopping around the corner from the house. "I'll wait here."

Wilf wandered away and Rose sat on the wall that served as a fence at a nearby house. Sitting down, she pulled out her journal and begin coming up with theories for Donna. Jonathan had some notes too and she compared the theories.

"Doctor, what am I going to do?" She held the journal close. "I miss you, I miss him."

She'd wandered by the Powell Estate earlier that day, not satisfied to stay at Torchwood and too early to go visit Wilf. Seeing where she'd grown up, seeing some of her old friends and her life before the Doctor, it had brought up a lot of feelings. If she'd felt like the shop girl she'd been when she'd begun watching the Doctor on his own planet, she lost that feeling when she got to her own.

Even with the knowledge of aliens, they seemed to move on with life. It changed yet didn't. And Rose was okay with that. She'd done the domestic thing with Jonathan and now she was ready to run, find adventure, and finally give him the forever she'd promised him.

The forever he still wanted, even after she had left. She looked up at the stars and sighed. He'd told her he loved her. Granted, he thought he was dreaming — how often did dream Rose get to hear the words she'd wanted for so long?

But he'd said them. He loved her.

She laughed. He loved her and she was going to fix the things that still brought sadness to his eyes and together they were going to spend eternity traveling the universe and saving it.

Time and time again.

Running.

Just the two of them.

Just as it should be.

"Rose?"

Wilf got her attention and she snapped out of her thoughts. "Everything okay?"

She smiled. "Everything's fine. Just working on some theories. Once I know better I'll be able to figure out which one will work."

"Donna went to bed early. Now might be a good time to take a look."

Rose nodded and followed Wilf down the familiar road.

"She's seeing a man, a Shaun Temple. It's the happiest she's been since she came back. But, you can tell she knows something is missing. Sometimes, there's this look that crosses her face and then disappears. We want our granddaughter back."

"I'm going to do everything I can."

They entered a house and she saw Silvia sitting on the couch. As they entered, she stood up. "Dad said you can help her. How? The Doctor said it's impossible."

"He likes to use that word. I seem to be developing the habit of ignoring him when he says that word. It's impossible for me to be here but hello." She waved. "She's upstairs?"

They nodded and Rose wandered upstairs and into Donna's bedroom. The redhead was sound asleep, her back to Rose. Quietly approaching, Rose sat on the edge of the bed and placed her hand on Donna's temples before entering her mind.

"I can remember him here. Kinda. In my dreams." Donna met her as she entered. "I forget when I wake up. But when I sleep, I can wander my memories. But what are you doing in my head, Blondie?"

"Trying to figure out how to fix you."

"I'm not sure it can be done." Donna's face wore a sad smile. "I know Space Man meant well but I'm not sure what kind of existence this is, wandering my dreams and letting a shell of myself walk around."

Rose walked along Donna's minds cape, making note of what the Doctor did. The problem was, while she was just over a hundred, he was a few thousand years old (yeah, she'd found out just how bad he'd been lying about his age).

And she was just starting to learn about telepathy where he'd been trained in it his whole life to figure it out. But this was vastly above and beyond anything she'd seen.

"So can you do anything, Blondie?" Donna came up beside her.

"Not by myself. I'm going to need get some help. But now that I've seen for myself what's been done, it's not going to be completely hopeless."

"I haven't lost hope yet, have I?" Donna shrugged. "Now, do you have to go right away or can you keep me company for a bit?"

"I think we can exchange some stories, Donna Noble. There's one in particular that I need to ask you about." The two wandered off into Donna's mindscape.

Since they were Earthbound, Jonathan had had to settle his need to travel with going around Pete's World. Rose had visited every continent on that world and Jonathan was fascinated at learning what was different from their own world.

But he'd always said he had a special place in his heart for New York City. He'd talked about the time he'd visited with Martha, they talked about their own visit to New New York on New Earth, and he told her that he had heard rumors that a friend of his had settled down there.

Several times they went and now as Rose wandered it's streets in her own universe, she wondered if that rumor was true. Something in her gut was telling her to gather, or at least make herself aware of, potential allies. As she was walking through Times Square her phone rang. Pulling out her caller ID, she saw that it was Sarah Jane.

"Sarah Jane! How are you?"

"I'm doing good, Rose. Mr. Smith found some information about Dorothy 'Ace' McShane."

"Fantastic, I'm in New York looking for her."

"How did you know she was in New York?" Sarah Jane's voice was full of surprise.

"A hint from Jonathan. Seems The Doctor does keep tabs on you. That or he was inspired to after he met up with you with me all those years ago."

"You know, for everyone except you that was only two and a half years ago."

"Really?" Rose looked at the calendar on her phone. "Time flies."

"Her office is located down in the Financial District." Sarah Jane seemed to ignore the time joke. "We're still searching for some of the others."

"Thanks, Sarah Jane, I appreciate it." Rose hung up and slid the phone in the pocket of her jeans. This city was huge and Rose couldn't help but long for her Doctor's hand in her's as she walked down the streets. These people, they were here to work, to sightsee, to shop, to live their lives knowing some of the things that happened over in London but at the same time, like the Powell Estate, keep going with their lives.

She made her way down to the Financial District and laughed when she saw the building. At the top were the letter, A C E.

"Ace would put her name in large letters at the top of a building." Rose shook her head and made her way to the building. A quick look at the directory told her that ACE actually stood for A Charitable Earth and they occupied the top third of the building. Taking an elevator, she found herself in a large lobby.

"Welcome to A Charitable Earth. How may I help you?"

"I need to see Ace McShane."

A look of surprise crossed the woman's face, something told her that people didn't call Ace Ace that often. The receptionist picked up the phone. "Miss McShane? You have a guest here in the lobby. She asked for Ace." … "Yes, it's a she."

The woman looked up at Rose. "She wants to know if the name Professor means anything to you."

"Tell Ace that Rose Tyler is here."

"She says to tell you that Rose Tyler is here." After a second the woman sat down the phone. "If you'd like to have a seat, she'll be down in a minute, Miss Tyler."

"Thank you."

Rose sat down and began flipping through some information about A Charitable Earth trying to get a read on the woman who rescued her.

"It's still early in your timeline, isn't it Blondie."

Rose looked up to see Ace standing there with a redhead.

"This is Mel, she travelled with the Doctor as well. Mel, this is Rose, she travelled with the Doctor for a bit after the Time War and has a rather interesting story. Now come with me, let me give you the ground tour so that you can annoy me in your future and my past and know the entire layout of my offices."

Shaking her head, Rose sat the pamphlet down and got up to follow her. "So, any hints on where the you I'm supposedly suppose to rescue is."

"You've only been there once and that was before my time on there. Let's just say that Mel is the baby in this group. You and I are great at hiding our ages. But don't try fishing for information. I was trained not to give away information about someone's timeline."

"So Gallifrey or the Time Agency."

Ace shook her head. "Valiant effort, kid. Come on."

 **AN: Thanks for reading guys! I'm going to work on a chapter this week but it might be a couple weeks before another one gets up. Best of luck to any of you doing NaNoWriMo! Let's finish strong.**


	7. More Friends

**Author's Note: Hello again! It's hard to believe we're in December already. Just to give you a heads up, I'm already working on a "Christmas Special" for this story and I'm excited to see how it turns out.**

 **Hope you enjoy the chapter! Thank you all for your fabulous reviews. I love that you are enjoying this story.**

It was a few hours before Ace let Rose leave ACE. She had no idea about how much the Doctor's former companion had done to help her home planet. She would have to make sure that the Doctor knew. She imagined he'd be proud.

Her phone rang as she stepped back out on the streets of New York.

"Hello again, Sarah Jane."

"Can you come by?"

Rose slipped into an alleyway and focused and transported herself across the pond and into Sarah Jane's attic. Sarah Jane was standing in from of Mr. Smith still holding her phone to her ear.

"You rang." Rose slid her phone in her pocket.

"You had some mail arrive." Sarah Jane smiled before heading downstairs. Rose followed her, officially curious and saw that a spare bedroom had a dozen boxes stacked around. Opening one, Rose couldn't hold in a gasp as she saw more photo albums of her and Jonathan.

"Oh, my stuff from Pete's world."

She opened a couple of others and found clothes and some other keepsakes that part of her had regretted not being able to bring. Photo albums, jewelry that Jonathan had given her, pictures of her mom, Pete, and Tony. "I wonder who brought all of this? Come here, Sarah Jane."

She pulled her wedding album out and sat on the bed. Sarah Jane sat down beside her. "This was a little over two years after The Doctor left us there. It took us a couple of months to figure us out. Jonathan wasn't quite the Doctor, the metacrisis had left a bit of Donna in him as well, and I had to sort out my feelings. There also was the fact that we had to create and establish his identity. But then we dated, got engaged and 9 months after that we got married. Mom had a field day and wanted to make sure all the traditions of both worlds were checked off for my special day."

Flipping through the pages, she could remember how excited she was to finally get to marry the man she loved, even if it wasn't quite the way she'd imagined.

"I love your dress."

"I searched for a month to find it. New York, London, Paris."

"The trim matches the TARDIS." Sarah Jane smiled at her. "And you look fantastic in it."

"Thanks." Rose turned the pages to see them at the alter, another page showed them cutting their cake. She hesitated over a family picture. Her, Jonathan, her mother, Pete, and little Tony. Oh how she missed them. "He talked about all of you, all the companions. I think he wanted to prepare me for coming back."

"He knew?"

Rose shrugged. "From the letter he wrote me, not until we noticed I wasn't aging anymore. But do you mind if I keep this here for a while. At least until I figure out why I get this feeling that I shouldn't be looking for the Doctor yet."

She got up and stared out the window. Night had fallen and she could see the lights of the different houses. "You said, that some things are worth getting your heart broke over."

"I did."

"Something's coming." She turned to Sarah Jane. "Something's coming and I don't know what it is."

"Well, we'll figure it out. You've been back in this universe less than two weeks. Before that you were trapped for almost a century. You can't think you'll know all the answers. Now tell me about Gallifrey. The Doctor didn't often talk about it."

Rose smiled and began to tell Sarah Jane about her adventure on the Doctor's home planet. Sarah Jane was captivated while Rose told her about the orangish-red sky and the dome that covered the Citadel of the Time Lords and the silver leaves on the trees.

"I think I need to go back there. There are a few people I promised I'd rescue for The Doctor." Rose got up. "You know, this did help to clear my head."

"Glad I could help. Stay safe, and if you need anything…"

"I'll be sure to stop by. See you soon." With that, Rose made her way back to the planet where her Doctor had spent his growing up years.

The planet was very different from what it had been when she had been there a few weeks earlier. Before, it was a time of peace for the planet of the Time Lords but now Rose could clearly see that it was in the middle of a war. There were over 3 billion children on this planet and there was nothing Rose could do about it.

The scattered, messed up, severed, and otherwise dismantled timelines almost made her sick and she was quickly realizing why it was called a time war. And she was understanding why The Doctor had done what he had.

Making her way towards the Citadel she noticed the guards straighten when they saw her approaching figure. She got to the gate and smiled when she saw the familiar face of Berit. "Come with me, Berit."

Nodding, Berit followed her into the Citadel. "How may I assist you, today?"

"Remember that promise I made to you all those years ago?"

He nodded as they walked around some of the rubble. "This is what you meant, isn't it?"

"I'm afraid so. I'm going to recruit you for another job for the foreseeable future."

"Anything."

Rose smiled. What was it about this planet that made her feel every inch the shop girl she used to be? "We need to get a few more people, I need them for my quest to find Time's Champion."

"You need to right the wrongs." Berit's voice was filled with awe.

"I do." Rose walked quickly. "Plus, you know the part about the paradoxes I carry in my wake?"

"Everyone here does, ma'am."

"Got to take care of some of those too. And I'd prefer we do this quickly. The messed up time leaves a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach."

"It's making some of the new initiates sick. They don't know what to do with the messed up time. I'm guessed your heightened senses are feeling the affects worse than we are."

They made their way towards the council chambers where she knew a coup de teat was being staged. Bursting in, she saw Rassilon trying to have Lady President Romana restrained. The council was torn at the unfolding events and the entire room froze when she entered. At once, they all took a knee. Nodding to the room she took a deep breath before addressing the High Council of Galifrey. "Before you allow your newly appointed," she had to spit out the word appointed, "leader lead you further into this war, I require you to turn the former Lady President over to me."

She walked up onto the dias that the two were sharing and she stared down Rassilon "Proceed with caution, Rassilon. You do not know the path you are setting them down on."

"I must protect the Time Lords for the safety of the universe."

"Just make sure the cost is not more than you can pay." Rose turned to Lady Romana and curtsied. "Lady President, I would like you to accompany me."

"Of course." Romana returned the curtsy. "It would be my honor."

Rose turned to face the High Council of Galifrey who were viewing the scene with a mix of confusion, awe, interest, and surprise. "High Council of Galifrey, I know the path ahead of you will be hard one. And I cannot spare you from that for it is the choices you have made that have brought you to where you are today. Take caution, Lords of Time that you can handle the consequences of the actions you agree to take here. You might find that the cost will surprise you."

Turning away, she nodded to Berit and Romana. "We have a couple more people to get."

"Leela is in my study awaiting my return. I had no idea that Rassilon would stage a coup like that."

Rose sighed. "Unfortunately, the events ahead are already in motion. But I can insure that I help The Doctor out with what comes after."

"He's Time's Champion, isn't he?" Roman looked at her, chuckling slightly. "I suspected as much when you appeared on his TARDIS all those years ago."

Rose smiled. "Yes. Now let's get Leela and Ace and get out of here."

It was a quiet group that made its way through the Citadel towards Romana's quarters. They arrived to find Leela pacing back and forth. "Romana, you're okay?"

"Thanks to the Goddess of Time."

"The one from the child's story? I though that was just a campfire tale?"

Rose laughed. "Apparently not. And it's just Rose when we are alone like this. You too, Berit."

Berit looked uncomfortable at the idea but nodded nonetheless. "Yes, ma'am."

Rose raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, Rose."

"Romana, where is Ace?"

"At the CIA. If a coup was staged."

"I'm not sure who's going to win that fight."

Romana nodded at Leela's statement. "Ace is not going to go quietly."

"Well, let's rescue her." Rose held out an arm and placed a hand on Berit's shoulder. "Take hold."

Concentrating, Rose encompassed all of them into the vortex and moved them across the citadel to where the CIA was based. The arrived in the middle of the coup to find Ace bickering with someone as she tried to ride a motorcycle, the very one Rose rode a few weeks ago, into the lift.

"You'd better let me out of here because I'll unleash my Nitro-9 on you and ride my bike out and report you to the Lady President."

"Lady President Romana has charged. The Age of Rassilon begins again."

Ace looked surprised at those words. And turned. Rose smiled at this earlier version of Ace, feeling glad that for once, she knew more than her newfound friend. "Ace McShane, I need you to come with me."

"And why would I do that, Blondie?"

"Because I am going with her as is Leela." Romana steeped around Rose. "We have more important things to do than to deal with a lost cause."

"Let's get out of here." Rose eyed the Time Lords who where kneeling out of respect but given the current politics of the planet, she wasn't sure how long this arrangement was going to last and she wasn't particularly in the mood to test them today.

Putting a hand on the bike, she nodded to the group who made sure to have at least one hand on her. The more Rose thought about it, the more she was feeling like a taxi. "You too, Ace."

Ace looked at the group before nodded and putting a hand on the one Rose was holding onto the bike with. Focusing, Rose teleported them all back to the Torchwood Hub. It's underground location felt less exposed than Sarah Jane's house and she also needed to check on Jack and the gang.

It was quiet in the Hub when they arrived and Rose turned to Ace. "Please tell me that that bike is more than a bike and I don't have to add yet another thing to my ever growing to-do list."

"Don't worry, she can already do space and time. The Professor-"

"She means the Doctor." Romana rolled her eyes.

"The Professor helped me fix it up the last time he visited me on Galifrey." Ace patted the bike affectionately. "I think he was trying to make up for my Hand of Omega powered baseball bat that he broke. But who are you?"

"Rose?" Jack came out of his office and eyed the delegation that surrounded her. "You could have at least warned me that you were bringing more friends."

"It was a last minute decision to go to Galifrey. I just let the vortex take me to where I was needed. She turned to Ace. "I'm Rose, by the way. I've heard a lot about you from The Doctor. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'd love to ask you about some of your adventures someday."

Ace eyed her. "You know The Professor."

Jack snorted. "You could say that."

"She's the Goddess of Time."

"That story ain't real. It's like our fairy tales here on Earth." Ace crossed her arms. "You know, I wasn't sure I'd ever make it back here."

"The story is real alright" She turned back to Jack. "I'm not sure how long they will be staying but maybe I present Lady President Romana of Galifrey."

"Former Lady President."

Rose shrugged. "We'll see. This is Leela and Ace McShane, former companions of The Doctor from before either of us met him. And last we have Berit, a member of the Galifreyian Royal Guard. He's assisted me once before and I have recruited him to help you keep our friends safe here."

"Wait, Galifrey? You've been to Galifrey?" Jack looked at her and then chuckled. "Of course, you have. And of course you fond the Doctor's friends."

"Did you expect anything less of me?" Rose smiled. "Now how are things here?"

"Settling down. The gang are getting used to each other and I think we'll be back to being fully operational in the next week. Well, we were before you dropped this little surprise on me."

"Sorry, I needed to get them off of Galifrey as Rassilon was taking power again. The Last Great Time War…" Rose trailed off. "Something is telling me there's more to the picture than the two of us know but I haven't quite figured out what it is."

She shook her head. "But everyone, this is Captain Jack Harkness head of Torchwood and a dear friend of mine and former companion to The Doctor. Jack, we need to make sure that everyone stays safe. Ace, I have a few jobs for you. Berit, you are to remain here and help keep an eye on the Lady President."

"It would be an honor to protect the Lady President of Galifrey." Berit did a sweeping bow.

"Jack, a package just arrived for Rose as I was arriving for the day. When you see her…" Ianto walked into the Hub and stopped when he saw all the visitors standing around. "I didn't realize we were having company this morning. Should I put some coffee on?"

"That would be great, Ianto." Rose smiled as he quickly made his way out of the room.

Opening the package, she was surprised to see that the envelope on top was addressed to Ace. Handing it to her, she examined the contents of the box. She didn't recognize the contents and held it out for Ace to see. "I think the whole box is for you."

Ace peeked in the box and pulled out all the papers Ace would need to restart her life in her proper place in the timeline and get ACE started. Taking the letter, she sat down on a couch and began to read. Romana and Berit were still standing near the door, both unsure of what to do in this unfamiliar setting.

"I'm sorry for our abrupt departure from Galifrey. But I did need to make sure that Rassilon didn't do something to you that I'd later not be able to undo. The Doctor would be brokenhearted if an old friend met a fate like that when it could be prevented. Though I'm sure right now he thinks you died."

"Jack, when Ianto is done, send him out for clothes for everyone. They need to be able to blend in a bit more."

"Rose!" Mickey walked in hand in hand with Martha Jones. He stopped when he spotted all of the new people. "Who are they?"

"Friends of mine and The Doctor's. I had to get them off Galifrey before Rassilon took control of the planet and launched it irrevocably into the Time War."

"Wait, Galifrey?" Martha looked at them sharply. "You're saying they're Time Lords like him."

"Time Lady." Romana corrected.

"This is Lady President Romana and Berit is part of the Galifreyian Royal Guard."

"Lady President."

"Elected Lady President of the High Council of Galifrey." Romana smiled. "I take it since you know of my home world that you too travelled with The Doctor. It is a pleasure to meet a woman that could put up with him besides the Goddess."

"What did I say?" Rose sighed.

"Wait, what does she mean, Goddess?"

"I might be considered the Goddess of Time on Galifrey." Rose smiled sheepishly at her old friend.

"Rose," Romana emphasized the use of her real name, "graciously rescued us so that we can join you in your task her on Earth."

"For the time being. I'm trying to figure something out. It's like, you know when you know the answer to the question but then you can't actually remember the answer."

"Good luck." Mickey wandered over to his station and Martha made her way to the medical bay.

"Looks like I've got enough to keep me busy for a few years. I'll be seeing you, Blondie. Hey Captain! What's the best way to get my bike out of here?"

 **AN: Thanks for reading!**


	8. Christmas Closure

**Author's Note: It's almost Christmas! Sorry about not updating last weekend. I was trying to get a chapter done but it wasn't quite working out because this week's wanted to go and I was saving it for the week before Christmas. I've actually been working on this off and on for about a month now because I started writing it and an idea came to me. I can't wait to see what you think of it!**

 **Hard to believe I'm almost to 50 reviews! I so appreciate your support with this story and want to say a thanks to all the Guests who are reviewing that I can't PM and thank personally.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who and I don't make any money off of this fanfic.**

 **Thanks so much for reading!**

Albrighton was a planet three and a half galaxies from Earth and home to one of the universe's largest entertainment centers, well in the universe in Rose's time. According to The Doctor and Jack, planets like these would exist all over the place by Jack's time.

Rose walked the familiar streets smiling at the familiar site. She'd come here once with her first Doctor and a couple of times with her second, the later being more willing to let her shop til she dropped. But this time, she wasn't here to shop.

Donna posed a problem, that much she knew. It was a problem that even Jonathan wasn't sure he could solve as much as he'd love to. He had theories, pointed Rose to some points of research. And Rose now knew she couldn't solve it by herself. And Ace wasn't in the mood to drop hints.

Why did timelines have to make things so complicated?

In the meantime, she had stops to make including one for herself. And it was somewhere here on this planet. Booths and vendors selling the wares called out to her but no one approached her.

"Jack! This way!"

Rose quickly ducked out of the way as her past self pulled a younger Jack Harkness along to, if she remembered right, a booth where she would find the best hair dye she'd ever come across.

Back before all this started, back before she became the Bad Wolf.

But she knew that she had wandered that day with Jack for quite awhile while the Doctor hunted for parts for the TARDIS.

Now to find him.

It didn't take much, that northern accent of her first Doctor really did seem to carry. When she first heard it, it almost knocked the wind out of her. For a second, she couldn't breath and had to hold on to a counter.

"Are you okay, Miss?"

She looked up to see a red humanoid alien staring at her intently. Straightening up, she took a breath. "I'm fine, thanks."

He was yelling, something hadn't amused him, Granted, that wasn't uncommon for this Doctor, even this late in her travels with him. She wasn't that surprised when she found him arguing with a vendor.

"Shouting accomplishes nothing, Doctor." She crossed her arms with a huff.

"I thought you wandered off with pretty boy." The Doctor turned, his eyebrow raising when he saw her outfit. "What did you do, go back to the TARDIS to get that outfit?"

"Oh, I got this outfit from the TARDIS, but it wasn't today, Doctor." Rose smiled. "This you always liked to yell. Finish up with the poor guys and maybe we'll talk."

Perturbed, the Doctor turned and finished negotiating for a part, a lot quieter this time around. Putting it into one of his bigger on the inside pockets, he held out his arm for her to slide her into like they did in Cardiff in 1869. Smiling, she took it.

"So how far into Rose's future are you? Are you actually Rose? I'm going to have to block this out later right. But you have a good reason if you are crossing your own timeline."

"I forgot this you had a gob when you wanted to." Rose smiled.

"This me."

"Thanks for the heads up about regeneration. Really appreciated it."

The Doctor stopped cold and turned, doing an excellent impression of a goldfish. "I…"

"You told me later that you rarely talked about it. I understand, technically regeneration is dying in a sense." She leaned close, breathing in the scent of his leather jacket. "I just, I've carried around one big regret for years."

"And what's that, Rose Tyler."

She looked up at him to see him smiling, the kind of smile she rarely saw in this regeneration but all too often in the next and in Jonathan. "That I didn't get to properly tell you goodbye."

"Well, how about one last adventure, Rose Tyler." The Doctor nodded and Rose saw the TARDIS sitting nearby. "The you I'm traveling with will be busy with the pretty boy you insisted on bringing along for a bit and I had an idea in mind."

"I'll let you know that that pretty boy is pretty important." Rose smiled.

"Please."

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Rose walked up to the TARDIS. "Hello, beautiful."

The door clicked open and Rose slipped inside. The TARDIS hummed a mix of excitement, welcome, and the faintest hint of apprehension. All three of them knew how dangerous this was but at the same time, all three were excited for the adventure ahead.

"Where to, Rose Tyler." The Doctor made his way to the console and turned back to face her with a grin. "After all, it's not often one gets to have an adventure with one of the goddesses that helped one of the founders of my planet."

"What gave me away?"

"The dress." He smiled walked back up to her. "You never did tell me, how far into the future are you?"

"I'm 105, Doctor." Rose looked at him, studying her first Doctor as he studied her. "So you know what this means."

"I'm Time's Champion. Oh my seven-year-old self would be thrilled. Did you know that that was my favorite story growing up?"

She nodded. "I did."

"So backwards or forwards in time?" The excitement seemed to vibrate off his body.

"Backwards." She smiled, wondering where in history the TARDIS was going to take them. Grabbing onto the railing, Rose braced herself for TARDIS travel, this Doctor didn't realize it but Rose was fairly certain that she could drive the TARDIS better.

 _But he loves it so._

The TARDIS just seemed to be laughing as she landed with a thump.

"You might want to go and change. Your usual getup might stand out a bit."

"Where are we? When are we?"

The Doctor peeked at the screen. "Actually, we've been here before. Late 20thcentury, London."

Nodding, Rose decided to show off and transported herself to the wardrobe room. The TARDIS hummed her amusement at that stunt as Rose found something that would fit in. Though she wasn't sure she wanted to fit in with the late 90s. But in the end, she found a cute skirt, top, and platform shoes that she slid in grabbing a long coat just in case it was winter and the Doctor had neglected to share that little detail with her.

Making her way back to the console room, Rose decided to do it on foot this time. She stopped at a familiar door with a golden rose on it and pushed it open. She hadn't seen this room in almost a century yet she knew that Rose Tyler had been in this room just hours before. And somewhere along the line she'd developed a sense of cleanliness.

She hadn't realized that she'd done that…

Walking along the vanity she eyed the makeup that her younger self had used as well as the pictures that seemed to hang everywhere of far off lands to group pictures of her and the Doctor, of them with Jack.

"I don't know how you live in this room."

She turned to see the Doctor leaning in the doorway.

"I'm not sure how I, she, lives in her either." Rose smiled. She turned and once again studied the man and he allowed her.

"How soon?"

"I can't tell you that."

He crossed his arms. "I'm going to have to suppress this anyways."

"Still." She crossed her arms and sat on her bed. He came and joined her and Rose couldn't help but fight back tears at The Doctor being this close.

"The years haven't been easy on you, have they?"

"There have been some rough ones." She admitted.

To her surprise, he put his arm around her and pulled her into a side hug. She smiled at the affection from a version of her Doctor who wasn't as into displays of affection as his next self would be. "So what wrong are you righting here?"

"You really do know the story, don't you?"

The Doctor shifted her so she was facing him. "I used to read that story with my mom before bed before I went to academy. And then, I did research into her. I think we've met a few times."

"At least once, your fourth form." Rose admitted.

"But those memories are going to have to be locked away until you catch up with me in my timeline. I'm not used to being the one who is behind. It's happened, but it doesn't happen often." He jumped off the bed. "Now come on, let's go see what adventure the TARDIS has in store for us this time."

It was snowing slightly when they stepped out of the TARDIS and into the heart of Christmas in London. In distance, Rose could hear Christmas carolers and to her surprise, she recognized the neighborhood. They weren't too far from the Powell Estates.

"December 20, 1998. I believe you are twelve. Happy Christmas, Rose Tyler." The Doctor shut the TARDIS door with its traditional creak.

"Happy Christmas, Doctor." Rose laughed.

"Would you care to accompany me to a Christmas pageant?" The Doctor nodded down the block and Rose saw her old school and remembered the Christmas pageant that, for her at least, had happened all those years ago."

"I would be honored." She took his hand and they made their way down the street. "Have I ever told you that I love this? All of this, new worlds, time's long past or far off. I love it and I love traveling with you. I don't know if I ever thanked you, this you or the next you, for all of it."

"I figured, with your apparent lack of aging, you would be angry with me."

"You missed that phase." Rose looked down and away. "I was, for a couple of years. But then I realized that it meant I could give you the forever I promised. Or rather, will promise in your timeline."

She turned to see the Doctor lost in thought as they made their way into the school.

"Hurry up, Mum!" A little voice she recognized all too well took off past her and Rose just barely managed to not bump into her by accident.

"Rose, be careful." She turned to see her mom looking a little frazzled. "Sorry about that."

"It's fine. Happy Christmas, ma'am." Rose managed to choke out.

"Happy Christmas." Jackie Tyler smiled at her before taking off after 12-year-old Rose. "Rose!"

"Always running, I see." The Doctor smiled.

Rose tried to smile back but seeing her mom against knocked the wind out of her like hear this Doctor's voice had.

"How long?"

"About fifty years ago. She almost made it to 90. She was happy though and surrounded by loved ones. But seeing here there, before all of that…"

"That's why I usually don't cross timelines."

Rose studied her first Doctor as they made their way into the school, following the crowd to the auditorium. "But you tend to make exceptions for me."

"I'm hoping in your old age that you'll be smarter about it than your younger counterpart."

Rose blushed, she still felt embarrassed about how stupid she had been during that particular misadventure. "Yeah, I learned my lesson."

"Good." The Doctor nodded to some seats near the back of the auditorium. She could see her mom dropping her off at the stage door, fretting over some unseen dust on the outfit.

"Mum had to work so hard to get tonight off for this. I remember being so excited that she was here. Even though I was just in the chorus. Thanks for bringing me here."

"You're very welcome, Rose Tyler."

The lights went dim a few minutes later and for the next hour or so Rose watched her younger self sing with the group. She couldn't help but glance at her mother in the fourth row who was frantically taking pictures, capturing every moment. Some of those pictures were in the spare bedroom at Sarah Jane's.

The pageant ended and everyone began filing out. Rose lingered to watch her mother collect her younger self before the pair made their way out of the school. You would have thought that Rose had won a Grammy considering the praise her mother was showering on her.

"We didn't have much, but she made sure to make me feel special."

"Quite right too. Rose Tyler is a pretty special girl. She's done some pretty amazing things and I suspect she's going to do quite a bit for the universe." The Doctor held out his arm and Rose linked her's with his and they made their way out of the school.

The snow had picked up a bit while they were in the school and for a bit they were content to walk along the Thames before finding a chippy.

"Just like our first date." She smiled at him as they made their way inside and ordered. This time, The Doctor actually paid.

"The legend says we get separated twice."

Rose nodded. "We did, we will for you. Those were some of the hardest times, immediately after both occasions."

"But you're back now."

"I am. But something is telling me that it's not quite time to find you yet."

"So you're righting the wrongs. You never did tell me why you came to find me on Albrighton."

"I didn't. That's not a wrong that needed righting. It was…" Rose popped a chip in her mouth to give her a second to figure out how she wanted to word the next bit. "It was a selfish errand. I'm allowed those. I wanted to see you, this you. All big ear and leather."

"My ears aren't that big!" The Doctor's hands went to his ears.

Rose laughed at him and stuck another chip in her mouth. "So thank you, for one last night."

"It has been my pleasure, Rose Tyler. But the night's not over quite yet."

They finished their chips and wandered back into the cold. Off in the distance, church bells rang and people seemed content to wander around getting ready for their last minute shopping. This was the world before the idea of aliens was accepted.

"It's weird, walking around." Rose broke the comfortable silence that had settled around them.

"How so?"

"These people, they have no idea what's out there. They still think we're alone in the universe."

"One of the dumber ideas your race has had."

"I have to agree with you there." Rose shrugged. "You know, this was one of my favorite Christmases before I met you. In fact you…"

Rose stopped cold and it took the Doctor a second to realize that she wasn't beside him anymore. Staring out over the Thames she saw him come up beside her out of the corner of her eyes. "We can't stay here long. There can't be two of me and two of you here."

"What do you mean?" The Doctor looked at her confused.

"Red bicycle when I was twelve. You mentioned it the day Captain Jack joined Team TARDIS."

"Team TARDIS?" The Doctor snorted. "You make us sound like some fan club or something."

"Oh hush. You don't remember that?"

She turned to see The Doctor concentrating. "Not really, which could be a number of things. Not all of them good. Could be a suppressed memory slipped through for a second."

"How can it be suppressed if it hasn't happened yet?"

The sound of the TARDIS materializing caused both of them to stop cold and after a second they took off searching for the sound.

"There's two of me. Of course. Wonder which one it is this time." The Doctor was slightly ahead of her as the sound was fading as the materialization process started to end.

They finally found the TARDIS in a park the light off the top casting a soft glow. The pair approached it careful and Rose couldn't help but wonder which version of the Time Lord it was. Part of her desperately wanted it to be his next form but that could raise a variety of problems.

Finally, the door creaked as it opened and a man with curly hair stepped out. Rose felt her eyebrow rise at the man's Victorian outfit. He stopped when he saw the pair staring at him.

"I can explain…. Well maybe I can't."

 **AN: Yeah, that end. I couldn't stop him. Not that I really tried. Before I go, I want to wish all of my readers a very Merry Christmas. May your day be full of love, laughter, friends, family, and fun. Thank you so much for reading!**


	9. Auld Lang Syne

**Author's Note: Sorry about taking so long. I work in retail (and for those of you who also just managed to survive, you understand that statement) and then had family here for a few days.**

 **What I thought was going to be a two parter is going to end up being three. Rose just wants to hang with Nine, Nine wants to hang with Rose, and Eight is trying to figure out what is going on. So we'll be hanging with them for a little bit longer. I'm sure you won't mind.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who. Nope :(**

"Not you." Her first Doctor groaned, shoving his hands in his pockets. "What are you doing here?"

"Do I know you?" The other Doctor, Rose believed Jonathan had mentioned this being his Eighth form, faced the pair. "Sorry to interrupt your evening, I'm The Doctor."

The Ninth Doctor pulled his sonic screwdriver out and lazily waved it. The Eighth Doctor visibly swallowed and uneasily shifted is position. "Well, this should be interesting."

His eyes shifted to Rose and she felt herself blush while he studied her. Apparently she had a soft spot for the Doctor in all his forms. She took a second to study him herself. Like his fourth form, she saw traces of the man he could become, whether it be the man next to her or the one she was slowly but surely making her way back to. There was less of a height difference between her and the Doctor next to her and the boyish grin he showed was a contrast to the hardened look.

She leaned close to the Ninth Doctor and stood up on her tip toes so that she could reach his ear. "This is before…"

She let the sentence trail off as she turned to smile at the Eighth Doctor. The Ninth Doctor nodded subtly as Rose held out her hand. "Rose Tyler."

"Well I know he's a future me but there's something about you I can't quite read."

Rose smiled. "Spoilers, Doctor. Now let's figure out why you are here."

The Eight Doctor fell into step beside her as the group continued down the path. The Ninth Doctor squeezed her hand and she squeezed it back. "Please tell me you aren't jealous of yourself."

A huff was her answer. In the distance, the carolers could still be heard. Ahead, they could see that the carolers were dressed in Victorian uniforms. She leaned in close to her leather Doctor. "Reminds me of our first Christmas."

"Good old Charlie." The Ninth Doctor chuckled.

"Is it me or are those carolers using a holographic projector." The Eighth Doctor stopped to study them.

Rose looked them over but couldn't see anything but she felt the Doctor next to her shift. "Wonder why. Not exactly blending in, are they?"

"I don't know." The Eight Doctor smiled. "Tis the season, is it not, Rose?"

"What's a holographic projector?"

"Basically, it's hiding whatever's underneath with a human exterior." The Eighth Doctor explained.

"So alien." Rose studied the group and then turned to the Doctors.

 _Angels from the realms of glory_

 _Wing your flight over all the earth;_

 _Ye who sang creation's story_

 _Now proclaim the Messiah's birth._

Rose smiled at how the carol seemed to fit the era of the costumes. One girl dropped her sheet music and bent down to pick it up but left a piece of paper on the ground as they continued down the street. She jogged over and picked up the paper.

 _Help us, please._

 _He's watching us._

She waved the paper at the Doctors who made their way over. Both looked it over. "Sounds like fun."

"How are we going to figure out what's going on if we can't approach them?" She turned to the Doctors.

"Who says we can't approach them?" The Ninth Doctor raised his eyebrow in the amused way he tended to do when she had had some of her more brilliant moments.

"Who is he?" The Eighth Doctor interrupted. "We're going to have to get close to them to figure it out. Victorian carolers in late 20th Century London."

"Who are aliens who are in trouble." The Ninth Doctor continued.

"Well, good thing there are two of you. Eight here can blend in. The two of us on the other hand will have to change."

"I didn't change with Charlie." The Ninth Doctor grumbled.

"That was different." Rose grabbed his hands. "Come on, the TARDIS isn't that far away.

"How much longer are you going to be?"

Rose sat in front of a mirror touching up her makeup. She wore a gorgeous dark blue Victorian gown that had a full skirt. It dragged a bit on the ground, something she wasn't a fan of, but she was going to wear slightly heeled boots. A black shawl hung on the rack next to her.

Looking up, she smiled as the Doctor wore a grey Victorian suit with a black coat in place of his leather one. A pocket watch chain hung out of his pocket. The whole outfit was completed with a top hat. While she studied him, Rose couldn't help but notice that The Doctor kept shifting uncomfortably.

"Don't you clean up nice." Rose turned back to the mirror, touching up her blush before sitting down the mirror. Her long curls were done up she grabbed a necklace she had found in the Victorian jewelry. "Help me with this?"

He took the necklace and put it around her neck and fastened it. "Ready now, Princess?"

"You know, you should be nicer to one of your planet's deities." She stood up and grabbed her shawl. "Let's go."

"I moved the TARDIS closer to my past self's while I was waiting on you." He said as they made their way into the hall. "We also skipped ahead a day to make sure we catch them."

"December 21. We're getting closer to Christmas."

"That we are. Shall we go and uncover some alien plot that involves Victorian characters from another world?"

"We shall?" She took his offered arm and the TARDIS hummed happily as they made their way through the console room and out. The snow from the night before was on the ground and the pair was bustling with people using it to cut between the streets with one less shopping day between them and Christmas.

The Eighth Doctor was leaning against his TARDIS, a content smile on his face a little ways down the path.

"Pre-war you." Rose nodded to the younger Doctor.

"More or less. I knew it was coming, I actually kinda started the Time War in a sense in my previous body. Well, it had been a powder keg that I set off."

"I know." Jonathan had told her about it, one night when the nightmare had haunted him almost more than he could bear.

"How could you know that?" He stopped, turning to face her.

"You know the legends, Doctor, you know what they imply." Even knowing he would have to suppress these memories, she knew she couldn't reveal too much.

"No one believed the implication." The Doctor said quietly.

"Because it's unlike what you're used to. See, how you acted, well act around me makes sense considering."

"If you two are done, our carolers meet over by Henricks in about a half hour."

Rose started at the mention of the story she would be working in in a few years. The store where she would meet the Doctor, he would grab her hand and with one word her life would change forever.

"So Rose, if you could go anywhere with the future me, where and when would you go?" The Eighth Doctor broke the silence that had settled over the group.

Rose smiled. "To a concert, maybe the Beatles. He owes me a concert."

"I do?"

"You will." She smiled at him.

The Eighth Doctor looked at her. "Why am I getting the feeling that your timelines are as complicated as mine."

"I'm not sure that's possible, Doctor." Rose laughed. "But mine are a little twisted."

The Eighth Doctor laughed. "We might have finally met our match."

"I'm starting to realize it."

"You know, you remind me of someone." The Eighth Doctor studied her for a second. "It will come to me."

"Maybe not."

They arrived to find the group of carolers gathering near the fountain where she met, well in this time will meet, Mickey on her lunch breaks.

"Room for three more?" The Eighth Doctor joined the group. "I'm John Smith, this is my brother Joseph and his wife, Mary."

"We always have room for more." One of the men smiled. "Always nice to meet fellow Victorian carolers. I am Tyson McLune. It's nice to meet you all."

Rose smiled before walking over to the girl who had dropped the note the night before. "I'm Mary Smith, who are you?"

"Ariel Manning" The girl, she couldn't be much older than Rose had been when she'd run off with the Doctor, smiled shyly.

"I got your note, Ariel. We're here to help."

Several emotions crossed the girls face before she settled into a small smile. "Do you think you can? My father sensed the technology of your ships. We've been trapped her for most of my life and didn't think there was hope of us ever getting home. And they are watching us-"

"Who are they?" The Ninth Doctor came over and put a hand around Rose.

"We call them the Shadow Men. They lurk in the darkness, watching us, waiting for us to find a way back home. If we break our routine, they retaliate." Tyson walked up and joined the conversation. "Ariel, what have you done?"

"They can help us."

Tyson looked between the girl and Rose. "Can you?"

"We are going to do our best. Home for Christmas, what do you say Mary." The Doctor turned to her.

"I say let's get caroling. You and James can get some readings and let us know what we are up against and we can come up with a plan."

"Alright, let's get going, you know the route. No snow in the forecast tonight so we should be okay." Tyson handed them a folder with the lyrics. A crowd had gathered and Rose suddenly felt nervous.

"Is it bad that I'm more nervous about singing Christmas carols than I was addressing the High Counsel of Galifrey?"

The Ninth Doctor chuckled. "I'm the other way around. Why do you think I ran when they tried to name me Lord President."

They sang a few carols before making their way down the street.

 _I saw three ships come sailing in_

 _On Christmas Day, on Christmas day;_

 _I saw three ships come sailing in_

 _On Christmas Day in the morning._

The faint whirl of the sonics on either side of her reminded her of what they were really up to but now and then she would move ahead and sing next to Ariel, who like the mermaid in the Disney film, had a really pretty voice.

They passed the park with the TARDISes as Rose slipped back between the Doctors. "Why can't we just take them home?"

"We could, and we probably will." The Eight Doctor looked at the park.

"But that still leaves this shadow person and there's something there." The Ninth Doctor turned the page in his songbook.

"So they are in trouble?"

"Oh yeah."

 **AN 2: Well, we'll continue with part 3 next time. Below, here's a bonus scene that Hediru inspired with her new fanfic. Happy New Year!**

Rose smiled as she leaned close to Jonathan as they made their way down the streets of New York City. Times Square was already showing signs of setting up for tomorrow night's celebration.

"Thanks for bringing me. I always wanted to come to New York for New Year's in the old universe."

"Why didn't you ask me to take you?" Jonathan looked down.

"There was never time." Rose smiled. It had been a few years since Jonathan had referred to himself as The Doctor like that. "We were always running."

"Well now, we have plenty of time. The slow path, Rose Tyler-Noble." He smiled at her. "So how about dinner and a show?"

"Sounds fantastic."

Both chuckled at her word choice as they made their way through the city. They passed the last day of the year, their first year of marriage, in a rush of fun touristy things and not an alien plot in sight. Finally, they found themselves in the VIP lounge as thousands upon thousands of people filled the square below.

Some performer, Rose knew she was a chart topper here in the States but her name was slipping Rose's mind. Jonathan walked up to the window with a glass of champagne. "For you."

"Why thank you." She took it and took a sip. "This beats being out in the cold."

"Being an heiress has it's perks."

"Is there anything I can get for you both, Mr. And Mrs. Tyler-Noble?" A waiter walked up to them.

"We're okay for now, but thank you." Rose nodded and he walked away. "Still not used to it. Part of me half-expects to wake up either at the Estate or on the TARDIS and find out this was all a crazy dream."

"Do you want it to be?"

"Not really." She leaned up against him.

"Thirty minutes to midnight." He smiled at her, playing with her hair like he liked to. "Here's to Auld Lang Syne."

"The song no one knows the lyrics to?"

"Should old acquaintance be forgot…" Jonathan shifted his weight in a way she was familiar with when it had been The Doctor, but was less so with Jonathan. "Lots of old acquaintances."

"You won't forget them."

"I can't forget some of them."

Rose remembered some of the last words The Doctor had said to her. That Jonathan was so like The Doctor when she had first met him. More and more, he was becoming like the man who's face he shared, but along with the bits of Donna, he was truly becoming his own person. "And you shouldn't."

They'd looked when they'd gotten over her and some of his companions had counterparts in this universe. It had done Jonathan a lot of good to see even the counterparts living their lives and being happy.

"Five minutes to the new year!" This universe's Ryan Seacrest announced from outside.

The crowd below continued to cheer as the watched the year tick out and a new one get ready to begin.

"Five, four, three, two…"

Jonathan pulled her in for a kiss as the clock stuck twelve. At first it was a simple sweet kiss but she deepened it. They pulled away to hear Auld Lang Syne playing on the speakers and confetti falling all over the square. Jonathan pulled her close as they watched the scene.

 _Should all acquaintances be forgot_

 _And never brought to mind?_

 _Should all acquaintance be forgot_

 _And Auld Lang Syne._

 **AN 3: Thanks for reading!**


	10. Tidings Of Comfort And Joy

**Author's Note: Back again. This chapter gave me a little grief, I wasn't sure how I wanted to end my first multi-Doctor arch (I will admit, I am considering doing another sometime down the road). But here is the end of the Christmas Special. I'll update again as soon as I can, I'm torn between a couple of options about where to go next.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own them.**

The door to the TARDIS creaked open and Rose found herself in yet another Victorian dress. "Run this by me again. You've heard of this crash?"

She heard laughter behind her and turned to see the Ninth Doctor coming out in the same outfit he'd been wearing. Granted, for them it had only been a couple of hours, but it was still funny to see him in something besides leather.

"And how are we able to use the TARDIS to travel? What about being involved in events?"

"Rules tend to have exceptions-"

"We tend to find them." The Eight Doctor interrupted as he walked up.

"What about Ariel, Tyson, and the carolers?" Rose straightened her shawl.

"I've heard talk about the Folandi crash. Chatter off and on when I hit this period of history and beyond." The Eight Doctor mused.

"I went digging into it before I met you, Rose. Story has it they got stranded on a Level 5 planet and that a group of mysterious travelers got them off."

"Folandi?"

"From the planet Goyathlay. They're going to end up becoming, for lack of a better term that you'd understand, the galaxies' concierges. This Christmas carol thing? It's in their nature to entertain and make sure the people around them are happy. They feed off that positive energy."

"And something is trying to feed off of them." The Eight Doctor looked at his sonic screwdriver. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say it was the Zaki."

"They're just a myth." The Ninth Doctor shifted.

"In some cultures, we're just a myth." The Eight Doctor shrugged.

Rose looked between the two. "Who are the Zaki?"

"I've only heard whispers of their existence. The Zaki might be the origin of Earth's vanishing hitchhiker myth."

"You're kidding." Rose looked at the two. "You know, I shouldn't be surprised by this."

"I shouldn't either." The Ninth Doctor mused. "I was sure they were just a myth."

"But isn't that why we travel?" A smile filled the Eighth Doctor's face. "To learn new things, explore new places… to meet new friends?"

At that last bit, his eyes wandered to Rose and Rose smiled at the Doctor's earlier incarnation.

"And maybe, we discuss truths about ourselves and the universe along the way." He continued to study her. "The universe is an interesting place where anything can happen."

"That it is, Doctor. So what do we do about the Zaki? They have to have a weak spot, right?" Rose looked at the pair.

"The trick is going to be not tipping our hand too soon." The Ninth Doctor mused. "What did the myth say?"

"She would light the way. She who was there twice over…" The Eighth Doctor mused.

Rose looked at the fountain near Hendriks where she could see the group already gathering together. Her gaze went between that and the store that would change her life forever.

"Ironic that we are so close to the store." The Ninth Doctor came up beside her and slipped her hand into his. "Wonder what you have up your sleeve."

"I wonder too." Rose muttered. "If we get the Folandis off the planet, can the Zaki trace them back to their home?"

"Depends on how we get them off world. If we take them in the TARDIS, we should be able to stop any interference."

"She who was there twice over. Rose, when were you born?" Eight turned to face her.

"There is a twelve year old me running around London somewhere."

"So you are here twice over."

"Yes." Rose looked back at the store. "What do we know about the Zaki? Hurry, they are about to start." She nodded to the carolers.

"The only talk about the defeat of the Zaki just might revolve around you." The Eighth Doctor took the lead.

"Just go with your gut." The Ninth Doctor offered as they joined the group. Ariel rushed over.

"You came back!" She pulled Rose into a hug.

"Of course we did, we said we would."

"Welcome back." Tyson joined the group. "I'm glad you could join us for another evening of festivities."

He shook both Doctors hands again and smiled at Rose. She nodded to him. This adventure was not what she had expected but she was loving this chance to run with her Doctor.

Their time with the Folandis went the same as last night until they were a few minutes from the park where the TARDISes were parked. Rose fell back from the group, planning to go with her gut as The Doctor had told her.

"I request an audience with the Zaki according to Article 15 of the Shadow Proclamation." She called out with an authoritative tone. Luckily, Jonathan had written down all the articles of this Universe's Shadow Proclamation. She'd found it in his files shortly after his death. Plus, it was a fun parallel to her first adventure with the big-eared leather Doctor who had uttered similar words in a base below the London Eye.

"One who knows of the Shadow Proclamation?" The voice hissed, reminding Rose of a snake. "Perhaps the Folandis aren't the only off-worlders. According to Article 15, the Zaki will grant you parlay."

She turned to see the Ninth Doctor lingering back. "If I might approach with my partner."

"You may."

Rose took a few tentative steps forward and tried to hide her reaction as the Ninth Doctor fell into step beside her. "Our friend is with the others."

"We felt it was best. Oddly enough, this is the best we've ever gotten along." The Ninth Doctor mused.

"No wonder, you guys seem to think you need to prove you are the smartest person in the room. Normally, it wouldn't be a problem but when there are multiple versions of you, then it becomes a problem." Rose finally stopped where the shadows seemed to be pooling. "Am I speaking to the leader of the Zaki Delegation?"

"You are. What is it you want?"

"I want to know why you are threatening the Folandis and prohibiting them from leaving Earth. This is a level five planet and both of you are violating the Shadow Proclamation by remaining her."

"As are you."

"The Articles do not apply to me. Now why are you prohibiting the Folandis from leaving Earth?"

"Because, we're curious."

"About." Rose looked at The Doctor who shrugged.

"The Folandi's future is tied with the humans over the next 150 years or so. What would happen if we tweaked that a bit?"

"Playing with the time line is a dangerous thing."

"Says the woman who is traveling with The Doctor. We've heard stories about him, though we wondered if he was a myth."

"I could say the same about you lot." The Doctor muttered. "But I follow the laws of time."

"But does your friend know what you did?"

"I do." Rose stopped them from giving the Doctor an unnecessary guilt trip. "It was necessary to the timeline."

"And what authority do you have to say that?" The leader of the Zaki hissed.

"What authority do you have to go and try and change the timeline?"

"We take the authority."

Rose turned to The Doctor who seemed to be studying the Shadow Man. She looked between the two. "I'm afraid you cannot take that kind of authority, especially on this planet."

"And who are you to stop us?"

Rose turned to The Doctor. "Go and get the Folandi ready to go home."

He started to argue and she cut him off. "Go."

After studying her for a second, he took off and Rose turned to face the leader of the Zaki. "Leave this planet now."

"Why would we leave? Innocents wander here all the time and we can decide how we want to manipulate the timeline. Plus, the potential futures of the human race makes this planet ideal for us. They don't even know we're here."

"This is your one chance." Rose took a deep breath, playing with the beginnings of a plan running through her head. "I'd suggest you take it."

"What are you going to do about it?"

Rose focused on the leader of the Zaki, focusing on his energy signature. It was vastly different from some of her friend's. She'd tried doing this a few times before but not on the scale she was about to attempt. "Then what happens next is your own doing."

With that, she closed her eyes and focused on anyone with a similar energy signature. There were a few dozen of them all the way to the park.

"What is this? What are you doing?"

She saw their timeline, saw who the Zaki were. Saw the potential timelines they had destroyed and ones they had created. She reached back into their timeline and found their beginnings. Here she saw several options and weighed them before taking a course of action.

"You often changed the timelines for your own amusement and I say no more. You will be bound to your own planet till the end of time." Rose locked the planet, so that the Zaki could not leave it. With one last wave of her hand, she banished them there and stumbled. A pair of arms caught her.

"Easy."

She turned to see the Ninth Doctor catch her as he knelt down. "I thought I told you to help your past self."

"Just enjoying the time I have to be Time's Champion. My next form will get the honor full time." He smiled. "Can you stand?"

Rose closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I think."

She did so uneasily and they made their way to the group where Tyson met them. "The threat has been neutralized and we would like to offer you a ride off planet."

Tyson smiled and eyed his fellow Folandi. "Is it possible for us to stay and carol through Christmas Eve? We've enjoyed it so."

Rose eyed the two Doctors who were looking at you, both silently conveying their answers. "I don't see why not."

The group's faces lit up. "Let's get back to it." Tyson steered them back on task. Rose fell back in with the group along with her Doctors.

 _God rest ye merry gentlemen_

 _Let nothing you dismay_

 _Remember Christ our Saviour_

 _Was Born on Christmas Day_

 _To save us all from Satan's power_

 _When we were gone astray_

 _O Tidings of Comfort and Joy_

 _Comfort and Joy_

 _O Tidings of Comfort and Joy_

Rose was a little disappointed that Christmas Eve was here. She laughed at the ridiculous idea of being disappointed about Christmas but she knew that she would miss the Folandis as well as her two Doctors. For a few days here it had almost been like she was traveling with her first Doctor again.

"Hurry up, Rose." The object of her thoughts called out from the console room. There was an extra twinkle in his voice that had Rose wondering. She touched up her makeup and added some jewelry to match yet another dress from the TARDIS wardrobe.

Maybe when she got back with the Doctor in the right spot in his timeline, they could do this again. The next version of him had a good singing voice as well.

Shaking the thoughts out of her head, she made her way down the hall. Stopping in her old room, she took in the scene one last time. It was hard to believe it had almost been a century since the day she'd walked out of here with a sackful of laundry. They'd been so excited to see what modern day London brought them and Rose was thrilled to see her mom again.

She ruffled the sheets, making sure they were more or less how her past self had left them and walked out of the room. Her dress swished around her ankles and she smiled as she saw the Doctor focused on tinkering with the TARDIS.

"Ready to go out one last time?"

"That I am." He sat down some tools and held out his arm, which she gladly took. They stepped outside and to Rose's delight it was snowing. "I'd forgotten that this was a white Christmas."

"A little atmospheric excitation." The Ninth Doctor said nonchalantly unknowingly mimicking his next self.

"Just a little." She playfully shoved him as the Eighth Doctor stepped out of his TARDIS.

"Happy Christmas, Rose. Doctor."

"Happy Christmas." Rose hugged the Doctor's earlier incarnation.

It was a happy trio that made their way to the plaza to join the group. Rose alternated between walked between the two Doctor's, skipping ahead, and turning around to walk backwards through the bustling Christmas Eve shopping crowd.

Rose smiled, the thoughts of being disappointed that it was Christmas disappearing as she caught the Christmas Spirit that was practically radiating off of some of the people. "I love Christmas."

"Christmas and Snow." The Ninth Doctor mused. "I'll have to keep that in mind."

The Eighth Doctor chuckled. "So much I have to look forward to. I dare say, Doctor, this is the best I've gotten along with another form."

"I blame Rose." The Ninth Doctor turned. Rose smiled at him.

"I'll take the blame, come on!"

It was a happy group that met up with the Folandi. They made the same route they'd been making for almost a week and it had a bittersweet air to it. But then, year after year, Christmas came and went and one simply cherished it while they could.

Rose looked between the two Doctors, so different, yet so similar. The space that separated them was quite large and it broke her heart to know where the youngest Doctor was headed. There was nothing she could do about it though, after all, it would lead him to her in the end.

They made their way back to the park where the TARDISes were parked and the Folandi agreed to return within an hour after they gathered some things. The Ninth Doctor nodded to the Eighth Doctor who stepped inside his TARDIS.

A minute later, he came back out with a red bicycle and Rose smiled at her old, well her new bike. "I believe we have a present to deliver this Christmas Eve."

The hour was growing late, the Folandi weren't due back to the park until around midnight, and it was an odd trio that made their way to the Powell Estate. They soon made their way to a familiar neighborhood and Rose smiled as places she'd frequented during her pre-Doctor life brought back memories.

Rose was surprised when they entered the Powell Estates to see her mom out on the balcony talking with one of her friends. If it was for the sudden presence of the Ninth Doctor's arm around her, she might have lost her balance at the sight of her mother.

"How long ago?" The Eighth Doctor was studying her.

"Forty years ago. She was happy, after all you had helped her get the happily ever after she'd thought she lost forever." The Ninth Doctor opened his mouth to ask more but Rose smiled sadly at him. "Spoilers."

After awhile, Jackie Tyler went back into the apartment, looking as if she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders. "This was a rough year for us and there wasn't much under the tree and it broke her heart that I was going to wake up in a few hours and be disappointed. But then the bike showed up out of nowhere and it was one of the best Christmases I had before I met you."

The group made their way up to Rose's old home and, borrowing her past-self's key, Rose let them into the apartment. Music was playing from the loo and it sounded as if her mom was taking a long, hot bath. Quietly and carefully, the trio placed the bicycle under the tree and snuck out of the apartment.

To the few people who were out, Rose knew the sight of the three of them walking down the street must have been odd. Both Doctors were taking turns telling Rose about some of their past adventures, trying to top each other over who remembered it better.

When Rose brought up Sarah Jane, both got this fond smile on their face which led to the tale of how Sarah Jane almost managed to get herself stranded in the Middle Ages.

"Luckily, she had a knack for finding adventure. If our paths hadn't have crossed…" The Eighth Doctor mused.

"Sarah Jane." The Ninth Doctor smiled.

Rose asked a question about a story Jonathan had once told her, something about there being five of him and by the time they had finished telling her about it and answering her questions, they had arrived back at the park to find the Folandi waiting for them.

Tyson smiled, a rump sack on his back. "Thank you for your help. Not many would have done what you three did."

"It was our pleasure." Rose spoke up before The Doctors could. Turning to them, she nodded to the TARDISes. "How are we going to do this?"

"Half and half. I'll leash my TARDIS to his and we'll go together." The Eighth Doctor answered.

Rose nodded at the same time as Tyson and within minutes the groups were split and everyone was in the TARDIS. A room just off the console room seemed to suddenly appear and inside Rose found airplane seats and it took time for everyone to get settled in. Coming back to the console room, she saw the Eighth Doctor on the screen. "Ready for flight."

The Ninth Doctor turned long enough to get a nod from Rose. "Ready here as well."

"Let's go."

The door to the TARDIS creaked open and Rose stepped back out in the middle of Albrighton's shopping district. "How long have we been gone?"

"About ten minutes. Not too bad." The Doctor patted the side of the TARDIS affectionately.

Rose knew her time with this Doctor was almost up and parting with him was going to be bittersweet. "I never did say thank you."

"For what, Rose Tyler?" He leaned up against the TARDIS, a rare smile on his face.

"For coming back, for asking me twice, for taking me along and giving me a chance to touch the stars. For making me feel special and important."

Several emotions crossed the Doctor's face and he quickly closed the space between them. "You should never let anyone tell you you're not important."

Rose nodded, taking a deep breath. "I'm around here somewhere, waiting. And you've got memories to suppress."

"That I do." He swept her up in a hug, spinning her around a bit. "I'll see you down the time line, Goddess of Time."

"Take care of yourself, Time's Champion."

The Doctor chuckled at the title that was his, but technically not his yet. "I look forward to earning that title."

"As do I." Rose started to walk away. "Doctor?"

"Yes, Rose Tyler?"

"One more thing." She closed the distance between them again and kissed him. At first, it was a gentle kiss but quickly she deepened it. To her surprise and relief, he kissed her back and for a minute time itself seemed to fade away and it was the two of them.

Finally, she pulled away. "Now I can walk away with one less regret."

The Ninth Doctor studied her for a second. "Sometimes, it's not my wrongs that need to be righted. Take care of yourself while you're on your journey back to me."

"I will."

With that, she took a few steps away and disappeared. It might be time to visit Sarah Jane again.

 **AN: And there we are, the end of my Christmas arch. I love how so many classic Christmas carols are in the public domain (gives me ideas for some projects I'm working on outside of** **fan fiction).**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	11. A Second Opinion

**AN: Hello again, long time no update. Sorry about that. I had some thing go on that gave me a massive case of writer's block as well as some other deadlines that I had to focus on before I could give time to this. I haven't given it up and I will update as often as I can.**

 **Thanks for the follows and favorites and reviews during that rather long hiatus. I really appreciate the support you've given me. Slowly but surely I'm finishing off the plan for where to go with this story.**

 **Hope you guys enjoy!**

Rose materialized into the attic of Sarah Jane's home and sat down on the couch with a sigh. A smile worked it's way onto her face as she thought about the kiss she had shared with her first Doctor. To her, that was one of the last pieces that she needed to fully be able to close the book on Rose Tyler, shop girl from London.

"Good afternoon, Rose." Mr. Smith spoke from his spot on the wall. "Did you need something from me today?"

"How is that search for those names coming?"

"It is taking some time, I must admit. But as soon as I complete my search, I will let you know."

" I appreciate it, Mr. Smith." Rose smiled at the computer. "Thank you for your help."

"Anytime. Sarah Jane is downstairs, if you're looking for her."

"Thanks." Rose smiled as she left the attic and headed downstairs. Sarah Jane was in the kitchen doing dishes and Rose smiled at her friend. "Have you ever wondered?"

Sarah Jane started, unaware that Rose was around and turned. Her worried look was quickly replaced with a smile as she dried her hands off and put the kettle on the stove. "Have I ever wondered what?"

"What you would say if you met your first Doctor again."

"A few times." Sarah Jane stared wistfully into the distance. "He was how I got to know that life. Then he regenerated and that scarf came along…"

"That scarf." Rose smiled.

Sarah Jane laughed. "I truly had a crush on that second form. The one I met with you wasn't bad looking either."

Both laughed at that. "Don't ever tell him. That one always knew he was foxy. I was forever trying to keep his ego in place while flirting with him."

"I do not envy you. Even in his fourth form, he had an ego that at time could not be stopped."

"I can believe that." The pair laughed as the kettle started to whistle. Sarah Jane got up and fixed them a both a cup of tea.

"When I turned 100 a few years ago, Tony and I went out to get chips to celebrate. The waitress thought it was so sweet that my grandfather was taking me out for my birthday." Rose sighed, stirring her tea. "At times, it was so easy to forget that Jonathan was gone or that I hadn't aged in almost a century. But then people would remind me. Here it's easier to forget. But I saw him, my first Doctor, and I remembered just how far I've come from the shop girl he met."

"I guessed, when I left you all, what he was going to do. That man just can't let himself be happy."

"Unknowingly, he helped to set up his own happy ending by his actions." Rose took a sip of tea. "You know, he's so fond of you. Jonathan loved to tell stories of the adventures the two of you had. I think, the reason I hadn't heard of you before we met that first time, was because he was hurting from the war and he couldn't look back, not then. But he was starting to get to where he could."

Her comment brought a smile to Sarah Jane's lips and the former companion seemed lost in her memories. "I can understand that. So what's next?"

Rose took another sip of her tea. "After seeing him again, my first Doctor. I needed to clear my head."

Before Sarah Jane could answer, a knock sounded at the door. Sarah Jane stood up to answer it and Rose heard a familiar voice greet her. "You must be Sarah Jane Smith. I heard so much about you from The Doctor."

"I'm sorry, you are?"

Rose made her way into the entryway. "Sarah Jane Smith, may I present to you Romanadvoratrelundar, Lady President of Gallifrey. You can call her Romana though. Romana, you've heard of Sarah Jane."

Sarah Jane looked between Romana and Rose. "I'm sorry, Gallifrey? You're the President of The Doctor's homeworld?"

"Was. I was in the processed of being taken from office when The… ah when Rose rescued me and some of the Doctor's other former companions."

"Speaking of, what are you doing here?"

Romana held out a note and Rose noted that it was in her own handwriting even though she hadn't written it yet that told Romana to meet her here at this time.

After thinking for a second, Rose realized what this might be about. "Let me grab Jonathan's journal. I think I sent you to help me with something."

Running up to the guest room, she grabbed it out of her bag. Holding it close, she couldn't help but fiddle with her wedding ring that was still on that chain around her neck. As excited as she was to be back in her home universe and to someday be reunited with the genuine article, she really had loved the copy of her Doctor.

Taking the journal downstairs, she found Sarah Jane and Romana laughing over the Fourth Doctor's idiosyncrasies. For a moment, Rose leaned against the doorway and watched the two talk in a way that reminded Rose of that day in the computer lab. As Sarah Jane sat a cuppa in front of Romana she looked up and saw Rose. "So what did future you send Romana to meet present you about?"

"Donna Noble."

Sarah Jane looked surprised. "What happened to Donna?"

Giving Sarah Jane and Romana an explanation of the situation as she knew it as well as her account of her venture into the mind of the former companion, she handed Romana the diary, opening it to the several page entry on Donna.

"A biological metacrisis…" Romana muttered as she read over the entry. "He would do something that stupid because of his vain ego. This is why he barely passed the Academy. Sarah Jane, do you have a few spare pieces of paper and a pen? I need to make some calculations and I'm going to have to venture into her mind myself."

Sarah Jane got her the supplies and she went on to make some notes in the language Rose had often seen The Doctor use on the TARDIS and had learned from Jonathan was circular Gallifreyan. "You knew the copy of The Doctor?"

Rose pulled out the ring. "We were married for 65 years in the other universe."

"I can tell from his writing that he loved you very much."

"I loved him as well." Rose took a deep breath and still felt a tear slip out. "It was bittersweet when we realized that I would continue to live on. Luckily between that diary and some things upstairs, I'll still have him with me here."

Romana nodded and handed the diary back to Rose. "Sarah Jane, might I ask a favor?"

"Of course?"

"Would you mind if I entered your mind for a second to look around and see how yours is set up? I'm afraid I'm not as familiar with human minds as The Doctor is and Rose's has undoubtedly changed.

Looking hesitant, Sarah Jane thought for a moment. "I guess so."

The two sat facing each other and Romana brought her hands to Sarah Jane's temples. "Anything you don't want me to see, put it behind a closed door. I'm not here to invade your privacy."

Romana chuckled. "Did he really do that?"

Sarah Jane chuckled and after a couple more minutes, Romana exited her mind and made a few more notes with her calculations. The sun had already set and Rose knew they could at least go talk with Wilf before Donna headed to bed. "There's one more person I want to you talk to before we try this. We'll be back, Sarah Jane. Thanks for the tea."

"Anytime."

Rose grabbed Romana's hand and felt them disappear in a flash of gold.

Rose materialized them at the bottom of the hill that Donna's grandfather frequented and smiled when she saw the old man study the night sky. "Wilf?"

The man turned and smiled when he saw her again. "Good to see you again. Any luck figuring out how to fix Donna?"

"I think I can help with that." Romana stepped forward. "I'm Romana."

"Wilfred Mott."

"Romana is a Time Lady and—"

"I'm a little bit more experienced with telepathy than Rose is. Or the Doctor for that matter. It's no small miracle that that man managed to pass his classes. I'm not sure how his TARDIS deals with his driving as it is."

Rose couldn't help but laugh at the mixture of Romana's snide remarks at The Doctor and Wilf's face at being presented with another alien from The Doctor's world. "But Donna said he was the last of his kind."

"He believes so." Rose nodded to her. "But I rescued her before he had a chance to destroy Gallifrey."

Romana turned to her shocked. "He used The Moment?"

She nodded. "But more about that later. Donna took a look at Jonathan's notes and made some of her own. But she'll need to look at Donna's mind but I wanted her to come meet you first."

Rose turned to see Romana studying Wilf. "Time circles around you strongly. I sense a timeline that was cut off that would have involved you but I still see you will do great things. Can't you see it, Rose?"

Looking at Wilf, she let herself see his timeline and saw what Romana meant. The cut off timeline was the one Rose herself had cut. "I cut that timeline, personally. It was a senseless waste of life and easily prevented. Though eventually, I'll have to deal with the rest of it."

Shaking her head, she let the timelines vanish. "How have you been, Wilf?"

"Same old, same old. Hoping you would figure out how to fix Donna."

"Apparently, in the future I'll let this time's Romana know to come help."

Romana had made her way up to the top of the hill and was looking at the stars. "I'd almost forgotten how beautiful the night sky on Earth is. It's been so long since I've been here."

Wilf and Rose joined her on the top of the hill. "I keep a vigil for him. Every night in case he come across the sky."

Rose closed her eyes and focused on the TARDIS. "He's not in this time period right now."

She let go of the link with a quick hello to the old girl and looked up at the sky. "No zeppelins blocking the view. Jonathan and I would make a point to go and find a most deserted place so we could look at the skies without those stupid machines bothering us."

For a bit they looked at the sky and Wilf and Romana talked about the Doctor's homeworld. Rose couldn't help but enjoy the sight of the two chatting like old friends. After while, Rose checked her watch and saw that it might be safe to go to the house. "Care to join us, Wilf?"

"Of course."

He packed up the telescope and the three made their way back down the hill and to Donna's house. Sylvia met them at the door eyeing Romana. "You brought someone with you?"

"I'm Lady President of Gallifrey and after looking at the research that Rose and the Metacrisis copy did, I want to try myself."

That seemed to really catch Sylvia's attention. "Lady President of what?"

"The Doctor's homeworld." Wilf glared at his daughter. "Now, leave them to their work."

She went to bed with a headache about a half hour ago." Sylvia nodded upstairs. "Good luck."

The pair made their way upstairs and found the redhead sound asleep. "I'll go in with you, just in case."

Romana nodded. "She knows you so that might be best. Go first."

Rose put her hand to one side of Donna's forehead and willed herself into Donna's mind.

"Back again, Blondie?" Donna smiled when she saw her.

"I brought a friend this time. She let me come ahead to warn you."

Romana appeared beside her, her mental image in the full presidential robes of her home planet. "Donna Noble, I am Romanadvoratrelundar, but you can call me Romana."

"I… I kinda know you. From his memories floating around in here too. You…" She closed her eyes for a second. "You travelled with his Fourth self. The one with the scarf."

"Oh that scarf." Rose couldn't help but grin.

Romana shook her head. "Yes, the one with the scarf. Rose showed me notes Jonathan made and Sarah Jane offered to let me see what a healthy human mind looks like. I'll have to say, you're mind is probably closer to what I imagine Rose's is like, though I haven't actually been inside to tell for sure."

For a few minutes, Romana wandered around and muttered to herself. Rose turned to Donna who was watching her. "You met them back then. It's one of his locked memories but they unlock for me. There's a particularly interesting one starring you but I think that you haven't made it there yet."

"I've only met his Fourth, Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth selves. I think I'm going to meet his Seventh eventually and I'd like to meet his First. Though from talking to Sarah Jane, his Third sounds fun too."

"Oh, he's clever." Romana's voice came from somewhere in Donna's mind. "He put some defenses up to protect you."

Donna shook her head. "That daft idiot."

Rose couldn't help but laugh. "If we fix you, you'll have to wait for him to come back. The TARDIS is telling me to let him wander for a bit. There's things he needs do that I can't be with him for and there are things I need to do that he can't be here for. But…"

"You miss him. That wide eyed expression, the excitement he gets when normal people would be absolutely terrified."

"The way he talks a mile a minute about subjects only he could be fascinated in." Rose smiled at the fond memories. "There was one time he was trying to take us to a concert in 1979 and we ended up in Scotland in 1879. So he's telling me about this band and has one of their songs playing and he's dancing around the console like a mad man…"

"Or how he can't get along with his past selves. He called the next him, his arch enemy once."

"Did he really?" Rose laughed. "Oh boys."

There was a shimmer in Donna's mindscape. "How long has it been?"

"Only a couple of months. I wanted to land fairly soon after it happened to set some pieces in motion." Rose told her a bit about what she'd been up to.

"I'm glad he's going to have you. I met him that first time just after he'd lost you and he was so lost. Martha, she did him so good but his face when he saw you. I'd never seen him so happy."

Her mindscape shimmered again. "Getting closer."

Donna turned to the other woman, her face full of hope. "You can really help me?"

"A biological metacrisis is a tricky thing and there are books written on this hypothetical occurrence. To be honest, there are Time Lords on Gallifrey who would love to study you."

"I'm not going to be anyone's science experiment."

Romana held up her hands. "I wasn't saying that."

There was another shimmer. "Rose, you might want to go ahead and pull out. I'll be right behind you."

"See you in the waking world." Rose waved at the redhead before pulling out.

"Did it work?" Wilf stood in the doorway, Sylvia behind him. "Did you fix her?"

"We'll know in a minute. Romana had to disable some defenses that The Doctor put in. Luckily, she's a former companion as well and knows him well enough that she could guess at his actions. Let's give them some space."

Enjoying her second cuppa for the day, Rose waited for either Romana or Donna, preferably both, to come down. The sitting room was tense as they waited for something.

Finally, footsteps sounded on the stairwell and Rose stood to see both Romana and Donna coming down, talking a mile a minute about something technical.

"Donna?"

"Gramps." Donna took off for her grandfather's arm and wrapped him in a bear hug. "Oh, they did it, Gramps."

"But The Doctor said that nothing could be done." Sylvia came over to get a hug of her own.

Rose, Romana, and Donna all laughed. "If we took everything The Doctor said was impossible seriously, then none of us would be here. He thinks it's impossible for me to get back to this universe, for Romana to have survived the fall of Gallifrey, and now for Donna to ever be able to remember him."

"That's why he travels. Deep down, he loves to be proven wrong." Donna shook her head. "I think he says things are impossible because he doesn't know how to deal with them."

"But he doesn't know everything." Romana shook her head.

"He just likes to pretend to." All three said at once. Rose took that as he chance to get a hug from the red head. "By the way, Rose Tyler. It's nice to actually get to meet instead of getting hurled into a crisis together or have me wander your mindscape."

"Donna Noble. It's nice to meet the girl who brings the spark back to my best friend's eye."

"Thank you for being there for him, when I couldn't."

"Thank you for coming back." Donna looked off into space thoughtfully a moment. "I think he knows you are back, or rather that you will come back. He just refuses to believe that he's Time's Champion. Is there any more tea?"

The group settled down and Rose smiled at the happy living room. She'd been here a couple times before but this was the happiest she'd seen the Noble home.

"Blondie?"

Rose snapped out of her thoughts and turned to see the room watching her. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I asked what happens now?"

"The Doctor is in another time period and while I could lock onto the TARDIS, and I have once before, she's telling me there are things I have to do before I can do that. You could either help Sarah Jane and her gang or I could talk to Captain Jack."

"Him, I definitely remember." Donna grinned. "The Doctor would barely let me say hello."

Rose shook her head. "Jack tends to flirt first and ask questions later."

"Honestly, the TARDIS is helping me help The Doctor with something. But I don't know what she sees that we don't." Rose let out a sigh. "A storm is brewing and hopefully we can be enough to stop it. "I'm going to have to venture out of this space/time area for a while, but Jack knows how to reach me."

"You be careful out there, Blondie."

"Be careful, Lady Rose." Romana also cautioned.

Rose smiled at the group before she finished her cuppa and vanished from the room.

 **AN: Thanks for reading, guys, I hope to have an update soon.**


	12. Better When I'm Dancing

**AN: So funny story about this chapter. I was working on something else and spent a few weeks trying to get it to work and couldn't figure out what was wrong. Then one night, I was watching The Peanuts Movie with some friends and the song got me thinking and these scenes came out.**

 **A lot of fluff, some serious moments, hints to the past, teases of the future, hope you enjoy them all!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who.**

Rose ran off towards the jungle, wondering if it would just be easier for her to disappear and let the locals think what they wanted. After all, it wasn't like The Doctor kept but so low a profile and who was to say that it would come and bit her in the butt later on?

She'd just wandered to a planet, one she'd faintly heard about from Romana. There were rumors on Gallifrey, when they'd talked about The Moment, that it had to be used outside the locked area and if what Rose knew was correct, Romana knew about where it would be used.

But either she was too early or too late in the planet's time stream because it was crawling with a humanoid people who had an extra set of arms and thought that she needed to be sacrificed so that her fate wouldn't be their offsprings.

Or something like that… she'd stopped listening about the point they said off with her head. How very Lewis Carroll of them. She swore if when she some day asked The Doctor about it and he said that Carroll had to get the idea from somewhere she would strangle him into his next regeneration. She could barely pick up a book anymore without wondering if aliens were somehow involved.

She was lucky The Doctor had inspired her to stay in good shape and the jungle grew nearer and she knew she could quickly lose them and vanish without a trace.

Where to?

At that moment she didn't particularly care and with one last wave to the natives, she disappeared and when she reappeared she stumbled. That was what she got for doing it mid-run.

"Easy there, Rosie." A pair of arms wrapped around her, easing her to the ground. "Where did you come from?"

"Eastraihen." Rose took a few deep breaths. "I would kill for some coffee or a cuppa right about now."

"Ianto, one hot beverage ASAP." Jack yelled before shutting his office door. "Hi, by the way."

"Hello, Jack." Rose hugged her old friend not sure what had brought her here but she was ready for an adventure.

"What have you been up to? Romana wanders away for a day and comes back saying something about Gallifrey and that you were involved. Did you go to when…?"

Rose shook her head. "Not yet. I was doing a little scouting. I have a feeling, it's in my gut but also something Donna alluded to, that I'm involved in that but with it being sealed in a time lock…"

"You'll figure it out." Jack smiled. "But in the mean time, when was the last time you had a break? Those could of days where you spent time getting used to be back in your home universe? No… all work and no play makes for a cranky Rosie and we can't have that."

Jack wiggled an eyebrow. "After all, we don't want you burnt out when you get back to your Doctor."

"Oh, I'm sure we'll have some time for dancing."

The look on Jack's face was worth the innuendo and for a second she wondered if she had broken him when he seemed to snap out of it. "Married life was good to you."

She smiled, fingering the ring that hung on the chain around her neck. "It was."

"Well tonight. No work. None of the Goddess of Time business. None of this rights to wrong stuff." Jack rushed over to his desk and held up a piece of paper. "Tonight, we celebrate, and maybe do a little dancing."

"You're being forward again."

Rose was a little worried about the look that crossed Jack's face and she couldn't help but laugh as he picked up a remote and pushed a button, dimming the lights and their song came on. Pulling her close, they began to dance.

"A lot more peaceful without the Blitz going on." She couldn't help but compare it to another time, a life time ago yet not so far distance wise.

"I have to attend a function in London in a few hours. Want to be my plus one?"

"I'm not sure how my former husband and soon to be husband will feel about me going to any event with you."

Jack laughed. "I'm sure he'll forgive me, eventually."

Rose let herself get lost in the music as she danced with her old friend. For a minute, she could almost hear the bombs drop around them and could imagine that this was the 1940s and they were in London. Both her and Jack had been so young back then, so unaware of the bigger picture. Shoot, Jack had two versions of himself running around at the time.

"Was your other self was in London that night. Just to make sure that we met, that we took you with us, that you set on the path that would bring you here?"

Jack suddenly got a sheepish look and Rose knew the answer. "Don't tell The Doctor. He'd go nuts if he knew I intentionally crossed my own timeline. But neither of you saw me."

Shaking her head, Rose let it go. While Jack was right, The Doctor would go nuts, to her it was no harm no foul. "What was this about a function?"

"Security people, well my type of security, have a big annual gala. London gets to host this year."

"Who had that bright idea, as often as things come to this island?" Rose snorted.

"Tell me about it." Jack let out a sigh. "Either way, after… well you know - I am the head of the only bit of Torchwood left."

"So you have to go play nice."

"I do." Jack took a step back as the song ended. "And since it's black tie, I happen to know you have a dress that is to die for hiding somewhere?"

"Sarah Jane's. Ace took some of my stuff from the other universe and stashed it there. The dress is there until I feel the need to dress up for an occasion."

"Go get it and come back?"

Shaking her head, Rose made a quick jump to Sarah Jane's and back. When she arrived back in Jack's office she barely had time to sit the dress down before she was tackled by Mickey. Hugging her old friend, she saw Martha Jones leaning up against the doorway. "Dr. Jones."

"Rose Tyler." The fellow former companion of The Doctor smiled. "Good to see you again."

"Hi Mickey." Rose looked at her friend. "How've you been?"

"Keeping Jack Flash in line here." Mickey eyed his friend.

"Keeping him in line." Martha eyed the two. "I've been trying to run a zoo here. If it wasn't for Ianto I might have gone spare. These two bickering, it's maddening. At least I get the others now and then."

"Someone asked for coffee?" Ianto came in and Rose took the cup with a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Ianto." Rose took a sip of the hot beverage. "So what have I missed?"

"You still weren't caught up on events before you left the last time." Mickey teased her.

"The Doctor doesn't know what's going on half the time, and he manages." Rose shrugged. "What have you been up to?"

For the next half hour or so, Rose looked at the changes that had been made to the Torchwood hub. The team seemed to have clicked in the few short weeks they'd been together. Granted, dealing with some of the things they had dealt with would do that to them.

"Martha, if I stick around for a bit after this thing tonight, would you mind if we go somewhere and talk about an adventure you had with The Doctor? Jonathan couldn't give me all the answers and for the sake of the timelines I have some questions."

Martha's face went a little pale as Rose figured she guessed which mission this was about. "I'll do my best."

"In the meantime, it has been at least a half-century since I've had the chance to have a friend help me get ready for a night out. Jack, I'm borrowing your room." Grabbing Martha, she took off for Jack's office, grabbed the dress and made her way downstairs.

Grabbing the stash of cosmetics she'd left here previously and putting on some music, the two started to get Rose ready.

"So what's popular in music these days. It's been a good few years since I was remotely aware of popular music."

"Well, to be honest, I've cheated a little." Martha disappeared for a few minutes and came back with a few CDs. "When you get back to the TARDIS, you might want to replace these. When I went for that bonus trip with… with Jenny I grabbed these along with my things on the way out. And a couple of movies I'd grown to love."

"All of time and space and The Doctor collects movies." Rose smiled at the fun memories of watching futuristic films with The Doctor during quiet nights in the TARDIS' media room. "What do you have?"

"Movie wise?" Martha smiled. "I grabbed a couple of chick flicks from the next couple of decades that I couldn't wait for. And the Peanuts movie."

"The one from 2015?"

While Rose would never admit it to the person in question, Jack was right. Rassalion help them all if Jack heard her ever admit that but the last 24 hours had been amazing. She'd chatted with Martha, filled in some blanks, caught up with Mickey, chatted with Romana and Leela, and Jack was always nearby. Even Donna had joined them, the group who had met her before were happy to see her again.

The credits were rolling and a really catchy song that actually wouldn't be written much less released for another few years was playing.

 _But I feel better when I'm dancing, yeah yeah_

 _Better When I'm dancing, yeah yeah_

 _And we can do this together_

 _I bet you feel better when you're dancing yeah, yeah._

As she slipped out of the room, a memory that involved Jack came to mind.

 _"The world doesn't end because the Doctor dances."_

Her first Doctor had never warmed up to the idea and she'd come to accept it. But her second, her Doctor had loved to. When they'd first gotten to Pete's World, Jonathan loved to take her out every chance he could and dance.

Continuing to muse, Rose wandered up to the surface and watched as people wandered Ronald Dahl Plass. Even after everything, this people were innocent, unknowing of what lay beneath the ground right below their feet or up in the stars above their heads.

In some of her darkest moments, Rose had envied their innocence but she saw her knowledge for the gift it was. After all, where would she be with meeting The Doctor. He had changed so many lives. Which reminded her…

In a flash of gold, she appeared on a prison ship and made her way to a cell. A woman sat there, reading a book but looked up as if sensing someone was there. "I was wondering when you would show up, Sweetie."

"What is your relationship with The Doctor?"

River Song looked surprised at the question. "It must be early in your timeline for you to be asking me such questions."

"Answer it."

"We both know that Time's Champion will watch over time with his Goddess. She has to right the wrongs the universe did to him."

"And you're a wrong?"

"People wanted to use me and others close to him to destroy him."

"Which is how you ended up here."

River song sat down on her cot. "There's a simple way to fix this, make sure I'm never born."

"That's unfair to you, plus the potential paradox…"

River interrupted her. "Don't talk to me about paradoxes. Time can be rewritten and I think it already is. You were supposed to stay on the other side of the void. Instead you came here, helped a lost little girl and so many others."

She looked at the wall in front of her. "In another life, sure, I could see myself falling for that daft man. I don't know if he would ever love me like I could love him though. We both know who those hearts belong to. But you two can't do it alone."

"We don't have to." Rose smiled at the woman.

"No you don't." River picked up her book. "Good luck. I think you will find him soon. You should get back before a certain Captain notices you're missing."

Rose nodded. "So long, River."

"Til next time, Rose."

Rose flashed back to Cardiff and leaned up against the railing. "How much longer, Doctor?"

"You'll know." Captain Jack came to the railing. "I've learned it's best to trust your judgment."

"You left them all in there?"

"They're watching Iron Man. Where I come, the MCU is old news."

"That did start this year, didn't it?"

Jack nodded.

"How many times did you visit me when I was growing up. Jonathan mentioned it once, that you said it in passing."

"A few times, I was at the hospital when you were born, I'll admit I was worried that something would try and come after you that day. Important occasions, after a really really bad day. But I made sure you never saw me."

Rose smiled. "Our lives are crazy."

"But I wouldn't have it any other way." Jack smiled. "You're not done with your time out. So it's back to the movie with you."

A flash of light interrupted them and a man suddenly appeared in the middle of the courtyard. Rose looked at Jack and the two took off. "Did he come through the rift?"

"That light was golden, it wasn't you?"

"Not yet at least." Rose looked at the man who had collapsed and showed no signs of moving. Grabbing her phone she texted an SOS to Martha to come up here. "But that doesn't mean a thing."

They came to his side and saw that he was probably nearing 40 and wearing familiar robes. "Jack, his from Gallifrey."

"Are you sure?" Jack studied the man.

"What's going on?" Martha came out, Romana, Leela, and Donna on her heels. "Narvin?"

"How is Narvin here?" Leela asked.

"He's from Gallifrey?" Martha asked and after getting confirmation, checked his hearts. "How did he get here?"

"She sent me." A weak voice came from the man on the ground. "Hello, Lady President, Leela."

 **AN2: Thanks for reading!**


	13. Sometimes He's Lucky She Loves Him

**Author's Note: I'm so so sorry about the forever long wait for this chapter. There was a lot going on the last few months.**

 **After a couple of debates, I'm excited for this and for what I've got planned for the next chapter.**

 **Sorry about the earlier version, I'm not sure what happened.**

 _70 years ago - Pete's World_

Somewhere, Rose had heard that doctors made the worst patience and unfortunately for her, neither Jonathan or The Doctor were exceptions to that rule. The Doctor spent the entire time whining about superior biology (especially when he'd been Big Ears and Leather) and Jonathan whined about how he used to have superior biology.

He was lucky sometimes she loved him…

Rose slammed the door to her car shut and quickly made her way in side, her arms full of groceries. She really hoped Jonathan hadn't gotten into the trouble in the thirty minutes it had taken her to run to the store.

Why she got her hopes up was beyond her.

"I'm back!" She listened out for the sounds of her husband as she made her way into the kitchen.

The house was quiet.

Perhaps too quiet.

"Jonathan?"

Silence met her.

Putting away the cold things, she left the rest sitting and made her way upstairs to their bedroom. She peeked in, wondering if he was finally listening to the doctor and resting.

Appendicitis and half Time Lords don't mix well.

He was propped up against the headboard, glasses perched on his nose even though. Rose well knew he didn't really need them.

Her mom had brought a tray table over and was using it to perch a diary on it.

"Whatcha writing?" She slid into bed next to him and peeked over his shoulder. A drawing of a landscape met her gaze. Two tall mountains, a globe covered city, and Jonathan was starting to color in a red sky. "Is that?"

"Gallifrey." Jonathan quietly answered. "The Citadel of the Time Lords located between the mountains of Solitude and Solstice."

Two figures lay on the hillside underneath a tree their backs to the drawing facing the Citadel.

"Koshiel and me. We used to run away from school and play in the trees. I wonder what younger me would have thought if he knew what was coming."

He'd told her, one night when a nightmare about the year that never was had awoken him.

Snuggling closer to him, she took a chance. "Tell me about it. You lived there?" She pointed at the city.

"I was a part of the house of Lungbarrow. I told you about the schism before."

She nodded.

"Then we lived in a dormitory as we did school. But the citadel housed more than just the Academy. This is where our Lord President and High Council lived and worked. Most Time Lords chose to live here in the Citadel."

Rose let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Weren't you elected a few times."

"Unfortunately." He ran his hands through his hair. "My fifth self actually liked it, well one time he ran away but another he stayed and gave it a shot. If I do say so myself, it wasn't a horrible presidency."

"I'm sure you were great, President Doctor."

"That's Lord President Doctor to you." He wiggled his eyebrows.

"Oh, I'm sure it is." She laughed. "So you had a Lord President, a High Council, an Academy."

"And the CIA. Oh, I wasn't supposed to know about them but I do." There was an odd edge to Jonathan's voice. "They went and made sure no other race created time travel. Had enough problems with the races who figured it out as it was. Granted, the humans slipped past them that had to be embarrassing."

"CIA, like the American agency?"

"Celestial Intervention Agency."

"Wait a second. I thought your lot was non interventionalists. I thought that's why you ran away?" She sat up, staring at the picture below.

"The CIA worked in the shadows. What people knew didn't hurt them. Last I heard of them, a bloke named Narvin was running it."

He turned and gave her a quick kiss. "Grocery run went well?"

"Yes, I got more tea." She got up. "I'll bring you some."

"Thanks, love." He smiled at her, picking up his pencil to color the sky more.

"Auld Lane Syne, Jonathan." She murmured quietly as she wandered back downstairs. "Don't forget them just because it hurts."

Rose tucked away that information for future reference. Eventually she would stop living in a paradox that threatened to either choke her or throw her back into another universe.

How did The Doctor keep these things straight sometimes?

"Narvin?"

"Yes, Lady Goddess?" He smiled weakly at her. "It is truly an honor."

"It's Rose here."

"Where is here?" He groaned as he sat up, Martha took a step back.

"Earth."

That earned them a louder groan. "Not Earth, what is with this backwater world."

"Watch it." Rose felt her hands go to her hips. "This 'backwater world' happens to be my home."

"My apologies. But what am I doing here? What are you doing here Leela, Lady President? I thought Rassalon had taken you prisoner when he took over."

"Let's discuss this inside. We'll use the lift and meet you down there. Jack, get his other side, the rest of you head on."

Rose helped Jack support his weight and they led him to the lift. "Did you know, Narvin, that when a TARDIS is used to almost crack open a planet due to rift energy, that the spot sometimes leaves energy traces?"

Jack took a step up and helped fit him onto the stone. "Comes in handy, now and then, when you want to make an entrance."

With that, the lift began to descend and the Hub appeared below them. "Welcome, Narvin, to Torchwood 3."

"Torchwood, didn't that organization collapse a few years ago your time?"

Rose shuddered at the memory of the event he was referencing. How many things had been set in motion because of that one day? How many others because of a thing like it?

"That was Torchwood 1 in London. We're in Cardiff and were a lot smaller and a lot more underground than them." Jack explained as the lift came to a halt. It was a simple operation until someone decided that they would come and cause me all sorts of trouble."

"I think the real trouble started at the London Blitz."

"We'll always have The Blitz." Jack's eyes seemed to wander years away. For a second, Rose let her mind wander to that day and that dance and the one day that the Doctor got what he rarely did: a day where everyone lived and one could believe that everyone would in fact live happily ever after."

"Martha." Rose snapped out of her thoughts. "Check on Narvin. Between the file you have on The Doctor and information from Roman and Narvin, you should be able to perform an exam. Narvin go with her."

His grumbling told her what he thought of the idea but she knew that he wouldn't question an order from her.

"Ianto?" She turned to see him standing by the door, looking a little lost. "Caffeine would do wonders right now."

"Of course, ma'am." He quickly disappeared.

Rose wandered into Jack's office where she added the note about Narvin to the already fairly long list of things she needed to do. How would she know when she needed to do it all?

Trust me, My Wolf, you will know.

Rose quickly looked around, hearing the ship in her head. "Glad one of us thinks so."

I know so. Patience My Wolf. For you have helped so many and for my Thief. Soon you will be able to keep your promise.

The memory, one Rose had never truly forgotten but often forced herself to ignore, flashed across her mind.

"How long are you going to stay with me?"

"Forever."

"Talking to yourself isn't the best of signs, Rosie." Jack broke through her thoughts as he entered her office. "And you're sitting in my chair."

"Since I'm the most powerful one in this room, I think it can be my chair if I want it to be while I work on this."

"I'm older."

"Because of me. Which I still feel awful about." Rose bit her lip, making a note in her diary.

"Don't." Jack picked her chin up, forcing her too look at him. "Don't ever feel bad. I've gotten to do so much and I'll get to do so much more. Plus, someone has to help keep you and The Doctor in line."

"You are so not the best candidate for that."

Both laughed.

"He's nearby." She shut the diary, vacated the coveted chair and wandering to a sofa. "The TARDIS reached out and put her two cents worth into my wandering thoughts."

"Why not go to him? It's been almost a century, it's been over a quarter of a century since you became a widow."

She laughed. "I must use some great moisturizer."

"You and me both."

Rose looked at her dear friend. "I wish I could. Jack, you don't understand just how badly I wish I could run right now into that mad blue box of his and tell him to take me anywhere and everywhere and that we will run as long as there are stars to run to in all of space and time…"

She pulled out the book she'd taken from the TARDIS. "But the Bad Wolf, The Goddess of Time, me, we've or I've got more to do and if I go to him I won't want to leave to do it."

"Your coffee, Miss Rose?" Ianto cam into the office, the steaming cup of liquid magic in his hand.

"Thank you, Ianto." She inhaled its rich smell before taking a sip. "I needed this."

Settling into the couch, she covered her legs with the blanket that lay there. "I have to choose what's better for the universe over what I want."

"A decision that he has to face all the time." Jack looked up from his paperwork. "I'm not complaining about you sticking around, I love having you around."

"I know, but someday I need to do what I need to do. Fulfill my destiny and finally get my happily ever after."

"Fairy tale to match the dress."

"Something like that." She smiled but before she could comment further, her phone rang. She smiled when she saw it was Mr. Smith. "Hello?"

"I found some of the information you requested. Rose Tyler."

"I'm on my way."

"Leaving me already?"

"You can come with, if you'd like."

In a whoosh of gold, Rose and Jack arrived in the attic of Sarah Jane Smith. Mr. Smith was already out, and his interface let out a surprise guest. "I wasn't aware that you were bringing a guest with you."

"Captain Jack Harkness." He waved at the computer. "Sarah Jane would be the one to have a super advanced computer hiding away in her attic.

"I'm a Xylok."

"He's a Xylok." Rose answered at the same time.

"I wasn't aware there were any left in existence." Jack took a couple steps forward, examining the interface. "This is incredible."

"I'm the last of my kind. Sarah Jane helped create an interface for me to be able to help protect planet Earth."

"And he's done a magnificent job at doing it." Sarah Jane walked into the attic. "Hello, Rose. And Jack Harkness I believe I told you to come around for tea sometime. Cardiff isn't that far away."

"Hello Sarah Jane." Jack walked over and wrapped her in a hug.

Rose waited for her turn to get a hug from her friend. "Sarah Jane."

"Mr. Smith mentioned you had a visitor, today. A Gallifreyan signature appeared near your base."

"Are you keeping tabs on my base?" Jack face was trying to look surprised but Rose could see he didn't completely mean it.

"You watch mine." Sarah Jane crossed her arms. "Mr. Smith found something for you."

"The TARDIS was nearby and we compared information, it was brilliant the chance to talk with another sentient computer, and she gave me the information on Jenny."

"You found her?!"

"Yes. She went about a solar system away before crash landing. You can rescue her there but you have to help her be created in the first place. Timing here is going to be crucial. You have a matter of minutes before he shows up and that's far too early in his timeline for him to see you."

Rose nodded, thinking back to a conversation she had with Donna about that particular adventure. "Okay. Jack, let me take you back and then go rescue her."

"Who is Jenny?" Jack and Sarah Jane asked at the same time.

"The Doctor's Daughter." She turned to Jack. "Some days, and they are so very rare, everyone lives. And this day, the day where most everyone lived was a victory that Doctor has no idea existed. He suffered from the pain, the heartbreak for nothing and the universe owes him this."

"Keep looking, Mr. Smith. We need to find the others. Sarah Jane, keep me posted and I'll be back soon. Jack, I'm taking you back to the Hub. Keep an eye on Narvin's exam and let me know if there's any problems. With any luck, I won't be gone too long."

Messaline would be a nice planet one day, once these clones figured out what was really going on and got around to doing what the original versions came here to do.

Sadly, at the moment, there was none of the beauty Rose had heard would exist there one day.

Instead, she found herself underground looking for the exact machine that would later be used on the Doctor to create Jenny.

Her dress billowed around her, really playing up just how out of place she was in this environment.

Finding the machine, she rigged it to take not one but two sets of DNA. While talking to Donna, she'd already guessed that this would happen and having Mr. Smith confirm it didn't surprise her. From what Donna told her, her daughter, their daughter, was going to be one special girl.

And in a bit, Rose would meet her for the first time.

She'd just gotten out of the way when the familiar sound of the materializations sequence started and she saw the box.

Hello

Hello, My Wolf. It's great to see you again though My Thief isn't very happy.

He's just upset because he doesnt' know what's going on.

The door creaked open and Rose steadied herself against the cave wall as her Doctor stepped out. Coat on, pinstripe suit, wild crazy wonderful hair, and brooding face. "Why Would the TARDIS bring us here?"

"I love this bit." Martha Jones' voice came from inside the TARDIS as she stepped out with Donna.

"I thought you wanted to go home?" Donna's face matched her smug tone.

"I know, but all the same… it's that feeling you get…"

"Like you've swallowed a hamster?"

Rose had to cover her mouth to stifle the giggles that came out at Donna's odd yet accurate description of traveling in the TARDIS.

Oh, how she missed it.

Her musings were quickly interrupted as the group was discovered and Jenny was created.

Rose's heart leapt into her throat as she saw the girl standing there. She looked like the two of them and she knew from Donna that she carried some other personality traits.

And of course, The Doctor was upset because he didn't know what was going on.

He was lucky she loved him.

Big egotistical dork that he was.

Jenny trigger an explosion and Martha was nearby. Rose leapt out as rubble blocked her from The Doctor's life getting Martha to safety as a shield of golden energy protected them. Before it could settle and Martha realize who she was, she disappeared.

"Take care of him."

 **AN: Thank you so much for reading!**


End file.
